My Hero Academia: The unOrdinary Ones
by Daemon of Wrath
Summary: Crossover with webtoon: unOrdinary by Uru-chan. On that day, Johne Doe lost one friend. The other still sticks by him. He swore he would never use his Quirk ever again. For a year, everyone thinks he's Quirkless, just like his friend. A chance encounter with All Might is going to change that.
1. Chapter 1

**Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride. The creator of many fantastic masterpieces such as: Code Geass: Lelouch of the R-eset, Persona 4: The Unseen Truth, DxD: Final, DxD: Nocturne, RWBY: Colorless Memories, RWBY: Black Rebellion, RWBY: Final Judgment, Bloom, Wilt, and Scatter, Drifting towards Rebellion, The Reversed Fool of Justice, Persona 5: Hoshi to Bokura to, Outsiders, Die Set Down, Fate: Breaker, Fate: stay night: Dragon of Dragons, Digimon D-Code: Error of Hades, Metastability, The Taken King, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing.**

 **I highly recommend you check them all out.**

 **I really appreciate your help, man. Couldn't have done this without ya!**

 **PLEASE READ: This story is a crossover between My Hero Academia, and the Webtoon, unOrdinary by Uru-chan. We highly recommend to check it out in order to better understand this story, for there will be spoilers. Plus, it is an amazing piece of work by Uru-chan, who owns unOrdinary. This crossover will feature characters from unOrdinary.**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

 _"All men...are not created equal."_

 _If there has ever been a quote that best described the world today, it would be this one._

 _You see, some odd years ago in Quing Quing, China, a baby had just been born. This wasn't an ordinary baby, you see. It was glowing. Wreathed in a brilliant glow._

 _Not long afterwards, reports from all across the world about people developing unusual powers: the ability to breath fire, moving objects without touching them, body size increasing to where a body builder would be jealous._

 _These bizarre powers became known as "Quirks." Suddenly, all across the world, a profession only seen in comic books became a reality._

 _People had the chance...to become heroes._

 _...of course, that's not the point of what I'm trying to get at. First things first, you should know that not ALL people were blessed with Quirks. Out of the hundreds of thousands of people, there would be at least two or three people born without Quirks. They were the powerless. The outcasts. The shunned._

 _The Quirkless._

 _A long time ago, there was a book. In that book, there was a man born with incredible power...yet the people around him were not born with powers of their own. He was all alone. He used his powers to help others - spread wealth and save lives. When he died, no one was sad...because he had made the world a cheerful place._

 _That book was called "UnOrdinary."_

 _This book, while highly controversial, had brought forth an exponential rise in the Hero department. Employment rates, inspired by this one novel alone, had reached a never-before-seen height._

 _The effects couldn't be ignored._

 _Where am I getting at with all of this? Just be patient._

 _Let me start at the very beginning of this story. My name is John. John Doe. Yes, I know how weird my name sounds. I live in one of the many small-time cities of Japan. I'm currently attending Orudera Academy with my best friend, Izuku Midoriya._

 _The two of us are Quirkless. We do not have power._

 _At least...that's what the world would have wanted us to be._

 _As I said before... All men are not created equal._

 _Rules are no exception._

 **A Boku no Hero Academia x UnOrdinary Crossover:**

 **My Hero Academia: The UnOrdinary Ones**

 _ **Prologue: You Can Be A Hero!**_

Orudera Academy was but a small-time school among the many academies across Japan. By comparison, it was fairly average. Of course, the same could be said about the class of students. They were all average: youths blessed with Quirks.

Well...not all of them.

In this classroom were two boys: the heroes of this story. One sat near the back of the classroom - a meek little thing with curly green hair and freckles splattered across his cheeks. Hopelessly as ordinary as one could imagine while also very skittish, keeping his head down and writing down in his journal. Seated near the window was a boy around his age: neat black hair patted down with light brown eyes. Unlike the former, the boy rested his chin in the palm of his hand, looking out at the window with disinterest.

"I've already handed you all your pamplets." the teacher said, staring at the class in front of him. "I expect you all to write down exactly what it is you want to be with the utmost honesty." There was a brief pause before the man grinned as he turned around, tossing the papers in his hand up into the air. "Of course, I already know what you're all gonna be! HEROES!"

At this, the majority of the class' quirks manifested alongside a chorus of cheers. The green-haired boy merely raised his hand shyly. The black-haired boy near the windows did not. Because unlike his meek friend, he had no aspirations of becoming a hero whatsoever. The concept never really appealed to him. Why would it? Most of the professional heroes, or Pro Heroes, are glorified celebrities to him. They may save crimes and help people, but the media always makes such a big deal about it and constantly put them in the spotlight.

Even worse is that becoming a Pro Hero is the general trend of all youth, all for varying reasons.

"Yes yes, exciting stuff!" the teacher chuckled. "But do remember that you aren't allowed to use any powers at school!"

Amidst the excitement, one youth let out a vicious grin. "Hey, teach!" they called, bringing all eyes to them. It was a young teen with ashen blonde hair, spread out like messy bed hair and crimson red eyes. "Would you mind not lumping me in with these bunch of extras? I'm the real deal, while these guys are nothing but a bunch of sidekicks who might get lucky with a bunch of D-listers!"

Naturally, in response to his comments, everyone bristled. "What?!" a random student snarled, brandishing a giant hand encased in stone. "You trying to start something here, Katsuki?!"

"Hah! Bring it!" the blonde, Katsuki Bakugo, smirked. "I take you all on! Right here! Right now!"

"Oh, right." the teacher recalled. "Bakugo, you wanted to enter Yuuei, isn't that right?"

"EH?!" another shouted in disbelief. "HE WANTS TO GO TO YUUEI?!"

"No way...I heard that place has effin' high standards!"

"Doesn't it have something like a 0.2 acceptance rate?!"

Katsuki grinned. "And that's why it's the only place worthy of me!" he declared, standing up on his desk. "I aced all the mock tests! I'm the only one who stands a chance at getting in! I'll be even more popular than All Might himself...and become the richest hero in the world! Everyone in the world will know who I am! And its' starting with Yuuei High!"

The meek boy chuckled awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "As always, Kacchan is aiming high." he muttered to himself. "I hope he doesn't find out that-"

"Now that I think about it... Midoriya-kun wanted to attend Yuuei as well, isn't that right?"

And with that, the teacher just crushed all of Izuku's hopes of going unnoticed. Immediately, almost all eyes turned to the meek boy with disbelief on their faces.

"Seriously?"

"But he doesn't even have a Quirk."

"Didn't they get rid of the whole 'Quirkless' thing? I guess he could apply."

Unfortunately for Izuku Midoriya, these whispers only served to cause a great, murderous aura from Katsuki. Without warning, he slammed his hand into Izuku's desk, smashing it to pieces with a fiery explosion emerging from his hands. Izuku yelped, falling backwards in his seat, staring at the blonde boy in fear.

" **D-e-k-u...**!" Katsuki growled out his insulting nickname in a snarl, glaring down at Izuku. If looks could kill, the poor boy would be dead right then and there. "Who the hell do you think you are?! You're even worse than these extras, you damn wannabe! You **REALLY** think they would let someone like you in when they could have me?! What, do you think you're **BETTER** than me?!"

"N-no, you've got it wrong!" Izuku shouted in a panic, not wanting to be on the receiving end of Katsuki's explosions. "T-that isn't it at all, Kacchan! I-I'm not trying to compete against you!"

The black haired boy sighed, shaking his head. 'Really?' he thought. 'Again?' Contrast to one might think, this was not the first time something had set the blonde teen off to the point where he wanted to kill him. However, it was beginning to become rather annoying. "Bakugo." he called, turning away from the windows. "Would you give it a rest? You sound like a broken record."

"What was that asshat?!" Katsuki snapped his attention to the raven haired boy. "Stay out of this John!"

"Just calling them like I see them." He shrugged. "You're causing one hell of a ruckus...as usual." John Doe sighed, shaking his head. "You know, for someone who wants to be a hero, you sure do act like a villain."

"Grgh...!" Katsuki grinded his teeth together, fingers twitching. Everyone wisely inched away, knowing that he was going to blow any second. "You lookin' to start something, you cheating bastard?!"

"Not particularly. I'm just pointing out a few facts." He gave a small smirk, knowing that would he say next would be a blow to his pride. "For starters: you say that you're the only one qualified for Yuuei, but you still keep getting your ass kicked by Sera."

"You piece of shit!" He roared, small explosions going off on his palms. "You're dead!"

"That's enough!" The teacher intervened before things escalated further. "Bakugo, back in your seat! Also, see me after class regarding that desk you just blew up!"

The blonde clucked his tongue before leveling a glare at John. "This ain't over." he promised as he moved back to his desk. Izuku released a baited breath of relief, climbing back up to his feet. One of his classmates offered him an empty seat next to them, which he gratefully accepted after gathering his things.

John, meanwhile, rolled his eyes and returned his attention back to the window.

* * *

 _"AAAAH!"_

"Someone! Stop that thief!"

In broad daylight, out in the middle of the street, people watched as a humanoid musk of dark, writhing slime with eyeballs and teeth charged down the road with dollars clinging to his slimey body. Anyone in his path quickly backed away, not wanting to get involved.

Compared to the few who panicked, the majority of the onlookers were hardly terrified.

"Ah jeez. Another one?"

"There's been a lot more villains lately."

"Where's all the heroes?"

"Must have been because of the incident from this morning."

Unknown to them, a small lanky figure walked out of a nearby convenience store, carrying a small bag of groceries. Noticing the commotion, he caught sight of the humanoid ball of slime running off.

"Isn't there a hero around?" someone complained, unaware of the lanky figure behind them suddenly increasing in size. The white shirt that practically hung on him suddenly become strained to contain his rippling muscles. "I mean, seriously! Who's going to let these guys keep running around?"

"It's alright." Everyone turned, surprise and shock and awe forming across their faces. In the midst of its escape, the Sludge Villain's eye turned to see the figure, and terror swelled upon seeing his form. "Why?"

A wide grin formed across the figure's face.

"Because...

 _ **I AM HERE!"**_

* * *

At the ringing of the bell, school had officially come to an end. Students were on their way out, readying for graduation day to arrive by now. Izuku, however, remained as he gathered his things. Packing up his pencil case and notebooks, he paused as he flipped through the one he had been writing in recently. In it was a new entry regarding his own personal analysis on the newest hero who made her debut today earlier this morning: Mount Lady.

"Izuku." Said boy looked up, seeing John approaching with his bag slung over his shoulder. "You ready to go?"

"Just about, yeah." he said, slipping his last notebook into his bookbag. He stopped briefly, as he bowed his head. "A-and...thanks a lot, John!"

John raised an eyebrow. "What for?" he asked. "I didn't do anything special."

"W-well, you stopped Kacchan from doing something rash." he pointed out. Truth be told, he still felt his legs shaking. "To be honest...I really thought he was going to kill me back there!"

John sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He really hasn't changed much, has he?"

"N-no...no he hasn't..." Izuku shook his head in dismay. Even now, Bakugo was still as volatile as ever.

"Well, at any rate, let's go find Sera. She's probably on the roof again."

"Don't bother." a voice called. "Already here." The two turned to find a girl wearing the same uniform as them. Her hair was long, going past the shoulders, colored dark purple with blonde streaks around the tips and at the bangs. Her eyes were bright blue, and in her mouth was a lollipop. "Heard what happened in your class. Baka-go at it again?"

"Yep." John answered without missing a beat. "Blew up Izuku's desk too."

The girl's brow reached her hairline. "He blew up Mido-kun's desk?" she asked. "Wow. You must have royally pissed him off to do that. What happened?"

"Didn't you say you already heard what happened in class?" John asked jokingly, earning a small grin from the girl.

"I said I heard Baka-go being an idiot as usual. Never heard why he went ballistic."

The green-haired boy rubbed the back of his neck nervously, tapping his foot against the wooden floor. "W-well...he found out I wanted to go to Yuuei."

"Yuuei?" the girl blinked. "The national hero academy?" Izuku nodded. The girl's eyes narrowed. "Mido-kun...you do know that the exams are brutal for that school, right? Nearly one in a thousand people get accepted."

"I-I know that, but...I've always wanted to be a hero, since I was little."

"Believe me, we know." John smiled a bit, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Those notebooks you have pretty much tell you everything."

Izuku blushed while the girl laughed. Ask anyone, and they could tell you how much of a fanboy Izuku was towards heroes. He had a bad habit of muttering in class, writing down notes of every hero he came across. In fact, all twelve of his notebooks were filled to the brim with notes about heroes and their quirks. John had the sneaking suspicion that the boy was on his way towards a thirteenth notebook pretty soon.

"Well, whatever." the girl eventually shrugged, smiling. "If you want to go that badly, I won't stop you."

"T-thank you, senpai!"

At this, the girl's face went flat. "...you're seriously still calling me that?" she asked in a deadpan. "You do realize we're in the same year, right?"

"B-but you're the top student at Orudera!" Izuku stammered. "Not to mention the strongest student here! Smart, pretty and strong!"

"Oh, so you think I'm pretty, Mido-kun?" the girl asked with a grin, causing Izuku's face to burn red. John chuckled along with the girl, noting how hilarious his reaction was. "Joking, joking. But seriously, you don't have to call me senpai. Just call me-"

"SEEEEERAAAAAAAPHIIIIIINAAAAAA!"

The girl sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before her body suddenly spun around, heel slamming straight into one Katsuki Bakugo's jaw. The roundhouse heel kick promptly sent him flying straight into the wall, crashing straight through it and left hanging in the wall apart of the opposing classroom, where he remained stuck for several seconds before falling back to the floor. The blonde groaned in pain as the two flunkies following him cluttered to his side in a panic.

Izuku and John sweat-dropped. "...how many does this make now?"

"I lost count after the 200th time he tried beating her."

Seraphina, otherwise known as the "Queen of Orudera Junior High," scoffed as she flipped her hair. "You done trying to get brain damage, Baka-go?"

"Sh-shut up!" He growled as he pulled himself up, a bit disoriented from the headblow, but otherwise fine. "Fight me!"

"No." came the swift blunt answer. "I'm not interested."

" _What was that_?!" He roared as his hands were crackling with explosions.

"Like I said." Seraphina stated. "I'm not interested. Besides, why do you keep asking me to a fight? You keep losing every time." She pursed her lips, tapping her chin. "Or maybe...you're secretly a masochist?"

"Screw you bitch!" Bakugo's rage kept increasing from Sera's dismissive attitude. Until it reached the point where he couldn't hold back any longer and lunged at her.

However, just as he reached her-

 _"Hmph."_

-time froze to a screeching halt.

Everything was still. The scenery outside, the students in the halls, and Bakugo in mid-lunge.

All except Seraphina who strode up to the frozen explosive boy and dealt a heavy haymaker to the side of his face. At that instant, time resumed.

In the next second, Katsuki was sent flying through the hallway. He crashed into the ground before rolling and stopping at the wall behind him. His two lackeys rushed over to ensure he was alright.

Izuku and John looked at where Katsuki had crashed, wondering whether or not he was alright after getting a double dose of pain from Seraphina.

"And there he goes, picking a fight with the Queen." a student commented. "That's seriously gotta be cheatin'. A quirk that stops time and buffs you up at the same time!"

 **-QUIRK INFO!-**

 _ **TIME STOP**_ _ **  
**_ _ **User: Seraphina**_

 _ **A Marriage Quirk between the power to stop time completely and increasing one's physical strength to the point where they can leave behind a crater through solid concrete. Seraphina's Quirk, "Time Stop," allows her to stop time itself, allowing her to deal a powerful blow to virtually anyone. With the increased physical prowess from one of her parents, she is virtually unstoppable unless facing enemies with even greater power than herself.**_

 **-QUIRK INFO!-**

"Well, that's that I guess." Seraphina remarked, flipping her hair before turning to her two male companions. "C'mon, boys. Let's go."

Without another word, both boys followed their friend out of school.

Meanwhile, as Katsuki got up, he growled and pounded his fist into the floor. "Damn...that bitch!" he cursed. "Who does she think she is, looking down on me?!"

"What else did you expect from the Queen of Orudera?"

Katsuki whirled on his follower, who froze underneath his murderous gaze. "Shut it!" he snapped. He then stood back to his feet, spitting on the floor. "One of these days...I'll crush her!"

"H-hey...Katsuki?" the other follower held up a hand. "W-why're you so obsessed with beating Seraphina? I mean, yeah, she's one of the strongest people here, but you can still get into Yuuei."

"That ain't the point, asshole!" the blonde scowled. "If I beat that bitch...that cheating asshole HAS to fight me!"

"Cheating asshole?" the two parroted, looking at one another. It took them a second to realize he was referring to John, one of the two kids Seraphina hung around with.

Of course, this only made them frown. Why would Katsuki want to fight someone who was Quirkless?

Neither of them, naturally, were unaware of the violent thoughts the pyromaniac was thinking of. _'Just you wait, John!'_ he swore on everything he held sacred. _'When I beat Seraphina, I'll make you take me seriously dammit!'_

He was determined to make his goal a reality. All to prove who was the better fighter between them once and for all.

* * *

"Hey, Sera?" John asked as they left the Malt Shop. They had stopped by to grab a bite to eat, which was more or less the daily ritual for the three of them, before they made their way back home. "I've been meaning to ask. Where are you going to go after you graduate?"

The violet-haired girl craned her head. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, with your grades and Quirk, you could get into Yuuei no problem." he rationalized. "Hell, I'd say just about any Hero academy would accept you. Izuku says he wants to attend Yuuei with you and Katsuki as well."

"And how about you?" she retorted. "What academy do you want to go to? Let me guess, Yuuei?"

The dark-haired boy scoffed. "No thanks." he said, waving a hand. "The best I could do is hit the minimal requirements for a Support Class. I'm Quirkless, remember?"

Izuku's eyes softened, hearing John say such a thing, but he said nothing. Instead, he joined the conversation. "S-speaking of Yuuei...what do you suppose it will be like? I-I mean, I've heard a lot of former Pro Heroes are apart of the staff, like the 18+ Hero Midnight!" A thought crossed his mind, which turned him positively giddy. "Wh-what if...All Might was a teacher there?!"

"Whao there, calm down." Seraphina giggled. "Don't blow a gasket there, Mido-kun. As amazing as that sounds, I doubt the Number One Hero would be teaching at Yuuei. After all, he's the Symbol of Peace for a reason, right?"

"Y-yeah...I guess so..." Izuku deflated. It wasn't like the Number One Hero would pause in his duties to teach, right? A boy could dream though...

Then again...it was practically his dream to one day meet his idol.

As they reached the intersection, Izuku turned to the two. "This is my stop." he said, smiling. "See you guys later?"

"Sure thing, man." John smiled as the exchanged high-fives. He then watched as his friend left, soon vanishing down the long stretch of road. Eventually, Seraphina and John they made their way back to their home as well, hands in their pockets. "But seriously, Sera...where are you thinking of going?"

Sera shrugged. "Dunno." she said honestly. "But not definitely not Yuuei."

"What?" the boy blinked. Seraphina didn't want to go to Yuuei? That...that sounded crazy to him. Why? With her abilities, she'd easily make it in! Hell, he could picture her becoming a pro hero in a few years! "Why?"

The cold look that flashed through her face told him everything. "...because my mother wants me to attend."

"...oh."

THAT explained a lot. Sera and her mother...didn't exactly have the best relationship. She practically made Seraphina shoulder all these expectations for her because she was next to succeed in her family.

In all honesty, John had to wonder what the father even saw in a woman like that. Then again, he knew next to nothing about the man as Seraphina never talked about him much. All he knew about him was that his Quirk was Strength Enhancement. That, coupled with Seraphina's mother's own time stopping Quirk, led to Seraphina's being a mix of the two. Perhaps she married the man for convenience?

In any case, John wisely dropped the subject.

* * *

"Haaah..." Izuku sighed wistfully as he made his way back home. "Another day gone and over with..."

Another day being reminded of his lack of a quirk, another day of hanging out with Seraphina and John, his life had become routine at this point. Not that he didn't dislike it. It was nice to have friends like them.

John and him had been friends for as long as he could remember. They lost contact for a bit after John started Middle School. Sometime around the start of the year, though, they got back together. A profound change had occurred in John as he once noticed how confident he seemed, compared to how he used to be. Halfway through the school year, though, he learned that John had been expelled from his old school for some reason. Come his seventh year, to his shock, John had enrolled, lacking the previous confidence he once boasted. He never asked what happened to him. Instead, they simply reconnected...and tried to avoid Katsuki, once he learned that John was now apart of their school.

As for Seraphina...well, he wasn't sure how that particular friendship started. At first, she was much like an ice queen - harsh and cold to practically everyone. On the other hand, she was known throughout the whole school as the "Queen of Orudera." A title she earned through power. Her Quirk, which stopped time and increased her physical abilities, practically made her a God. Her strength was nowhere compared to the more powerful Physically Enhanced Heroes like All Might, but it was most definitely worthy of being apart of the Hero class. Naturally, he was more than a bit scared of her and avoided confrontation with her.

Katsuki, however, did not.

Because of his ego and belief that he was the strongest, he naturally saw Seraphina as a threat and once tried to beat her. At the time, the idea was ludicrous as it was crazy. Challenging her like that? He must have been insane.

Poor guy didn't even last ten seconds before Seraphina clocked him out in a single strike.

Ever since then, he had challenged her again and again, only to face the same result each time, like earlier today. Izuku wasn't sure what drove his friend to do it over and over, only to face the same result. Whether it was due to pride or determination, he had no idea. Then again, that sort of tenacity was one of Bakugo's strong points.

It was also one of the many things he admired about his childhood friend (and do keep in mind he uses this term loosely). Yes, he had a horrible attitude...but his strength to accomplish his goals, coupled with his determination to keep winning, were the things Izuku sorely wished he had.

"I wish I had a Quirk..." Izuku whispered softly as he looked up, clenching his hands. "I wish I had one as strong as All Might's. That way...I could thrash the villains and keep on smiling! Just like All Might!"

The image was clear in his head. The video he watched so many times when he was a kid played in his mind like it was on replay. A disheveled city with debris and fire everywhere, and yet through all of this was a single man, saving hundreds of lives in mere minutes. All with a smile on his face. Dressed in a blue and red costume, cape fluttering behind him and blonde hair slicked back. Spread across his handsome and marble-like face a wide grin that showed no fear. No hesitation. Out of habit, Izuku mimicked his idol - the hero All Might - and laughed boisterously.

As he continued his way home, passing underneath the bridge overhead, the storm drain below began to quiver, sludge oozing out. The mass of ooze coagulated onto the surface. It slithered around until a pair of eyes popped out from within and set its eyes on Izuku. Coiling up like a snake, it shot out at the unsuspecting teen.

By the time Izuku heard the sloshing sounds coming from behind him, it was too late. Sludge wrapped around his limbs, coiling into a vice-like grip to prevent him from escaping. Worse, the sludge slathered across his mouth, forcing its way into him. Izuku could only gag and tear up. The vile taste was naseauting. He wanted to throw up. The stench alone was vile, but the way it tried to force its way into him...!

"Aaah...a small-sized skin suit!" the villain cackled. "Just in time, too! Wasn't expecting HIM of all people to be there. Kekeke, you showed up at the perfect time...you really are a hero, kid. Now, just sit tight. This'll only take a few seconds..."

Izuku continued to thrash around and resist. He was being attacked by a villain! Just what were the odds?! He had to get away! He had to escape! But his struggles were proven useless due to the villain's amorphous body. He had no way of getting out of it!

His fingers scraped at the sludge, but he couldn't get a good grip. Already, he felt as if he were suffocating.

 _'Somebody...!'_ he thought. Flashing through his mind was John, the same confident look he bore when they met in their first year of middle school. Then Seraphina in her cold nature as the Queen of the school. Then Katsuki, that vicious smile that seemed to be glued to his mug with smoke floating from his hands. _'Anyone...please...!'_

Finally came the grinning man, with hands curled and muscles rippling.

 _'HELP!'_

...

...

...

...

...

"...don't worry. You're safe now."

Izuku's eyes widened to the point where they threatened to pop open like dinner plates. The villain's body swiveled around, its own large eyes growing in fear at the muscular man stepping into view.

"Why?" The man chuckled, his grin showing off his pearly white. "Because... _ **I AM HERE**_!"

In a panic, the villain swung its arm at him. The sludge expanded, lashing out like a whip. The man ducked, letting the arm flail and destroy the nearby wall and ceiling. Then, he dashed forward. The ground shook beneath the weight of his boot as he charged forward. Quickly, the Sludge Villain sent out another arm. Like before, however, the man dodged it with ease. In seconds, he was right in front of the horrible monster, hand grabbing hold of the boy caught in its grasp.

At such close proximity, the boy recognized the man. His heart leaped.

 _'A-All...!'_

"Texas..." the man sucked in his breath, cocking back his hand. Fingers curled into a fist. Then, as he threw a punch, he roared at the top of his lungs. "SMAAASH!"

His fist flew at blinding speed and struck the sludge villain head on. The force behind the attack was enough to create a blast of air that blew the villain into the stone wall. Its body splattered all over as the stone beneath it cracked. The sludge lost consciousness as it collapsed into a pile of still goo.

Its eyes rolled about in the goo, comically turning into "X"s.

It was the last thing Izuku saw before he faded into unconsciousness, held in the arm of his idol.

* * *

"...ake? Hello! Rise and shine, my boy!"

A series of taps gently pressed against Izuku's cheek. As he woke up, his mind felt foggy. 'Mngh...what happened?' he thought. 'I...was being attacked by a villain. And then, someone came...' The fog in his mind began to clear up. As it did, his vision came into focus. Once it did, he was now fully alert as he came face to face with the one person he never thought he would see.

The Number One Hero. The Strongest Hero. The Symbol of Peace.

All Might.

 _ **ALL. MIGHT.**_

Naturally, there was only one thing to do in this situation:

 _"AAAAAAH!"_

Startled and overwhelmed by the mere shock of meeting his idol since childhood, Izuku shot up and backpedaled away. All Might, however, laughed boisterously. "Well, at least your moving alright!" he said, that toothy grin still present. "Anyways, sorry about that! I was tracking that little rascal and he decided to take to the sewer system beneath time! Had a real touch time navigating it! However!" He then produced a pair of soda bottles - each containing the sludge villain in question, locked tightly and sealed with the caps screwed on as tight as possible. "I caught him! I owe you one, my boy!"

 _'No way...!'_ Izuku panted, on the verge of hyperventilating. _'No way no way no way! All Might! He's right here in front of me!_ _ **HE'S STANDING IN FRONT OF ME!'**_ On reflex, he searched himself for something he could lend him. There was not a chance in hell he was going to let this opportunity pass up. However, he soon realized he needed something for him to write on. He soon found his notebook, which fell during the struggle, and grabbed it. As he opened it however, he found a signature taking up two whole pages.

"HE ALREADY SIGNED IT!" he cried in joy, nearly on the brink of tears before he bowed profusely. "THANK YOU! I'LL TREASURE THIS FOREVER! I-IT'LL BE THE MIDORIYA FAMILY HEIRLOOM PASSED DOWN FOR GENERATIONS!"

All Might's grin seemed to grow wider as he gave the boy a thumbs up. "Good for you, kiddo!" he said cheerily before stuffing the bottles containing the sludge villain in his pants pockets. "Anyway, I better go drop off this little sucker to the police! See you around, my boy!"

This served to snap Izuku out of the spell, his excitement and joy vanishing almost instantly and replaced with disappointment. "Y-you're leaving already?" he asked.

"Professional Heroes fight time as well as crime!"

"B-but..."

No. Not yet. He couldn't let All Might leave yet. There was still something important he needed to ask him!

"Stand back!" All Might called, not noticing the boy rushing toward him. He then bounced off the ground, taking off in a mighty leap. "And thank you for your continued support!" It hadn't even been two seconds before he noticed a weight in his leg. Frowning, he looked down...and found Izuku wrapped around his leg, hanging on for dear life. "Whoa, hey now! I love my fans and all, but this is a bit too much, don't you think?!"

"B-BUT IF I LET GO I'LL DIE!" Izuku cried over the rushing winds as his idol soared through the air. "A-AND I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO ASK YOU PERSONALLY! Y-YOU'RE MY ALL TIME FAVORITE HERO, SO...!"

He wasn't going to lie...it was very creepy, seeing the way how the skin flapped from the kid's mouth and eyes. "Alright, alright!" he waved a hand. "Just keep your eyes and mouth closed!" Izuku did as he was told, and buried his face in his leg. Just in time, too, as a cough escaped his mouth. Blood slipped through his teeth, causing him to wince. _'Shit...almost out of time!'_ he thought. He couldn't let anyone see him like this. Especially not a kid like this. Thankfully, he found a building close by.

His body fell down, crashing into the roof in a crouch. The building shuddered for a moment before it ceased. Sighing, All Might looked down and patted Izuku on the back. "Okay, kid. You can let go now."

"M-my whole life..." the boy whimpered as he fell to the ground, shaking like a leaf. "Just flashed before my eyes."

All Might chuckled a bit before he coughed again, feeling his chest becoming tighter. He had a few seconds left at best. Quickly, he turned on his heel. "If you bang on the door, I'm sure someone will hear you." he said, waving a hand at him. "At any rate, I really do need to get going! See you around!"

Surprisingly, Izuku got over his immense shock and leaped to his feet. "W-wait!" he cried. "I have a lot of questions to ask you! I-"

* * *

 _ **'I-I'm so sorry...Izuku...!'**_

 _ **'Little worthless Deku...you really think a Quirkless shit like you can be a hero?!'**_

 _ **'I'm sorry, young man, but you had best give up your dream.'**_

* * *

The words of his mother, Katsuki and the doctor who told him he would never have a Quirk passed through his mind, causing him to freeze. His hand, which was outstretched towards All Might, slowly retracted in fear. What would be the point of asking All Might something like that? He knew the answer, didn't he? How useless his ideals were. After all, he was Quirkless. He would never have the power to become a hero.

And...yet...

* * *

 _ **'Does it really matter if you don't have a Quirk?'**_

 _ **'So what if you don't have any powers? I don't see a reason why you shouldn't become a hero.'**_

* * *

John and Seraphina's faces, both with encouraging smiles, came to mind. With it, a rush of courage. Before All Might could leave, he screamed at the top of his lungs:

 _"CAN I BECOME A HERO, EVEN IF I'M QUIRKLESS?!"_

All Might paused in his movement as the words sunk in. Those words...they were so...familiar.

He was about to open his mouth to reply, but steam began to rise from his body. _'Crap! I'm outta time...!'_ The Number One Hero mentally cursed as a cloud of steam enveloped him, obscuring his form from the boy's view. "N-no...dammit, not here!"

Izuku, however, did not notice the cloud of steam. In the midst of his shout, he shut his eyes closed. "People think that not having any powers doesn't give me a chance." he said, staring at the ground while fiddling with his thumbs. "That it makes me some kind of weakling. My classmates all make fun of me and mock me, but..." His hands clenched. Once more, the faces of his friends flashed in his mind. "It only makes me want to prove them wrong. Ever since I was young, I thought saving people was the coolest thing you could do! I want people to see my fearless smile and feel safe! I want to be the kind of hero everyone in the world looks up to!"

Finally, he snapped his head up. "Just like yo-!"

The words died in his throat when the cloud of steam cleared, revealing not All Might, but a lanky man. He looked like a corpse with how thin his body was. It was frail-looking with his clothes practically hanging off of him like some kind of hangar. His chin was narrow, not at all square or broad and his shoulders were slumped. His chunks were sunken, and the grin that always adorned All Might's face was nowhere to be found. He still had the blonde hair, but it was incredibly messy and unhinged. His eyes were cast over in shadows with only the blue of his eyes peering out.

The two promptly stared at each other. At first, there was only silence between them, as if sizing up the other.

Then, Izuku screamed.

* * *

Elsewhere in the middle of town, Katsuki and his lackeys walked through the streets of one of the more busiest parts of the district. Ever since his defeat at the hands of Seraphina for the umpteenth time, he had done nothing but brooding. Every now and then, he would let out a few pops in his hands to show his irritation.

"Don't you think you were being a hit harsh to Midoriya in class today, Katsuki?" one of the flunkies asked, taking a swig of his soda. "I mean, didn't you two used to be friends back when you were kids?"

Katsuki scoffed. "Its his own damn fault." he said, downing the last of his own drink before crushing it. A scowl spread across his face, temper growing. "That little shit...who does he think he is, applying for Yuuei?! It pisses me OFF!" In anger, he kicked a nearby soda bottle, knocking it against a street lamp and popping the cap, allowing the contents to spill out. "He always talked about wanting to become a hero...a stupid little brat is what he is!"

It pissed him off how Izuku kept thinking about his dream. Becoming a hero? Impossible. In this world, nearly everyone in today's society had a Quirk. Those who didn't were weak. They had no chance of becoming heroes, no matter what they did. That little kid was nothing but naive and foolish.

Then again...if he wants to die so badly, who was he to stop him? Not like he cared.

* * *

 _ **'So cool, Kacchan! I hope my Quirk is as awesome as yours one day!'**_

* * *

The blonde teen grit his teeth and clenched his fists. Why was he even remembering that now? He didn't care what happened to Deku. If he got himself killed, it was his own damn fault!

Why couldn't he just accept facts and face reality? You couldn't be a Hero if you didn't have a Quirk, let alone being a Hero like All Might! It just wasn't possible! At least John had a sense of realism...despite being such a cheating asshole!

* * *

 _ **'Do you know why you lost,Bakugo? It's because...you'll never beat me. No one at my school can even touch me. What makes you think you can?'**_

* * *

Remembering the condescending glare and the confident, cocky smirk on his face made Katsuki's blood boil. In anger, his Quirk flared, creating explosions in his hands.

"I swear, John!" he growled. "I'll make you fight me again! And when that time comes, I'll show you who's stronger!"

His flunkies, virtually unaware of their boss' thoughts, sweatdropped. "Man, he really has it out for them." one of them said. "But why does he want to fight John so bad? He's Quirkless!"

"Dunno. Maybe he's secretly a martial arts master and managed to beat Katsuki back in the day?"

Unfortunately for the three of them, none noticed that the contents that spilled out of the bottle began to rise up, slowly rising and casting a shadow over Katsuki. By the time they did, it was already too late.

"Perfect...a skin suit with some fire in 'em!"

* * *

"W-w-w-w-w-w-what in the..." Izuku stammered, pointing a finger at the frail man before him, utterly shaken. This...this couldn't be. He was sure All Might was standing in front of him! Was it teleportation?! No, couldn't be! He moved fast, but nowhere near that level of speed! Transformation? No, impossible! "W-who are you?! A-are you some kind of imposter?!"

The frail man sighed, palming his face. "I knew this would happen..." he cursed under his breath before addressing the matter at hand. "I can assure you that I am All M-urk!"

Without warning, blood spewed from his mouth, prompting Izuku to panic further. "Ack! You're coughing up blood!"

"R-relax..." he waved his hand. "It's...normal." He wiped the blood away from his mouth, ignoring the iron taste in his mouth touching his tongue. "Anyway...you know how guys at the pool flex and try and show off muscles? I'm sort of like that." It was almost painful for him to practically hear Izuku's dreams break apart, staring in disbelief as swirls danced in his eyes, unable to comprehend what he was hearing. All Might didn't blame him. After all, the powerful hero of peace? A frail little man? Quite the stark image, one that must never happen. He gave a sigh, shaking his head, slowly falling to the ground beneath him. "Listen kid...I'm trusting you to keep your mouth shut, alright?"

"E-eh?" Izuku blinked, snapping out of his trance. "W-what do you mean by that?"

All Might's sunken face turned grim as he lifted up his shirt. The color from the boy's face drained when he saw what looked like an aged puncture wound right at the ribs with several stitches spreading out from it. The wound itself was already patched up with warped skin, but it looked darkened and irritated.

"Nasty little scar, am I right?" he joked morbidly. "Got it five years back in a fight that destroyed my entire respiratory system. Even lost my whole stomach to boot. All the surgeries left me dead tired afterward. Still am. My injuries can't be fixed, either." He dropped his short, covering the scar before he sighed, dipping his head. "As I am right now, I can only do hero work three hours a day. The rest of the time, well..." He gestured to his frail, weak self. The very opposite of the heroic persona he embodied. "This is who I really look like."

Izuku's eyes widened in horror. "N-no way..." he whispered. To think that...this is what happened to his hero? "Wait, five years ago? You mean...Toxic Chainsaw?!"

"You're well-informed." All Might nodded. "But no...this wound wasn't what brought me down to where I am now. As far as the world is concerned, the fight that crippled me never happened." He gave a small chuckle as he pulled himself up, which hurt to do so. The pain from transforming back into his frail self was not exactly pleasant. "After all, I'm the symbol of peace. The hero who smiles in the face of danger. That's the hero they need to see. If I'm being honest, though...its just to hide how scared I am some days. Hero work is never easy."

Every word that seemed to fall from All Might's mouth sounded like gunshots. And the bullets were aimed at Izuku's heart. The truth was heart-breaking to hear.

"Professional Heroes are constantly risking their own lives to save others...but it's a risky job without a power." All Might closed his eyes. When he opened them next, the words that fell from his mouth brought Izuku's whole world crashing down right on top of him. "Young man...I don't think you can become a hero without a Quirk."

Izuku couldn't respond properly. Sighing, All Might walked over to the exit, turning the knob. "It isn't bad to have a dream." he said before he departed. "But...at the very least, make sure they're attainable."

He closed the door, just in time as Izuku's legs gave out underneath him. Tears fell from his face, his bangs hiding his eyes as he bit his lip, drawing blood. Not even a scream could express the despair and sadness he felt. All Might might have felt saddened were he to see such a dedicated fan in such a state, but he knew it would have been for a good cause. He didn't want the boy to rush into his death. He was not lying when he said that heroes risked their lives. He couldn't bear the idea of someone so young risking their lives.

Especially not when that man and EMBER were out there. All Might shook his head before digging his hands into his pockets. "Now then, time to get you to the station." He paused when he felt his thin fingers grasping only the fabric of his pockets. Looking down, his eyes widened when he found the bottles gone. "W-what?! When did he-?!"

Then realization struck him.

 _'It must have been when he latched on to my leg!'_ he thought, cursing his stupidity. _'Dammit! He must already be out by now!'_

* * *

"How long does a girl take to shop?" John muttered to himself, standing outside the clothing store. On their way home, Sera mentioned that she had wanted to grab something for a friend of hers. Apparently, it was a shirt featuring the Pro Hero X-Static. That alone told him the friend she mentioned must have been a fan girl or something. That said, it had been at least twenty minutes since she went in, and she hadn't come back out. "She didn't strike me the type who would take so long."

 _{-in other news, the Pro Hero known as ArkRAYgeous was found dead near Baker's Street in London.}_ Looking up, one of the many large screens displayed across the towering buildings above showed a news report. On it was a headline that brought forth nothing but trepidation for the young man, enough to bring a scowl. _{According to authorities, a brand was found burned into his skin on his back. This brand was revealed to be the calling card of the group known as EMBER. It is unknown who or what EMBER is. Some speculate it is a possible individual or group. However, what is known is that EMBER is without question a villain. Several of their victims were Professional Heroes, among of which include Radiance and Equinox.}_

Another Pro Hero killed by EMBER...they have been the talk of the news for several weeks now. As the news anchor stated, they were a mysterious group infamous for targeting and killing Pro Heroes. No one knows their motives or purpose, other than that they seem to hold animosity to Pros of some sort. The fact that they desecrate the corpses of their targets by branding them is a sure sign of that.

In his peripheral vision, John noticed bystanders watching the news story as well.

"I can't believe this..."

"Another one? How many does this make?"

"Why aren't the Pros doing something to stop them?"

"Wouldn't they just be killed off too?"

John bit his lip. _'That's easy for you all to say.'_ he thought bitterly. _'After all, all you people do is just sit around and watch. Its the Heroes who are risking their lives, and most of them just do it for fame and fortune.'_

Ever since the rise of Pro Heroes, the general populace became lax in taking action for themselves. They now sit on the sidelines while the Heroes do the work, even though they are capable of handling crimes and emergencies themselves.

A shame, too. Who knows how many have incredible Quirks? More importantly, if a Quirk was even the slightest bit useful for Heroics, then they should go for it instead of wallowing about in the sidelines. In the end, though, people just didn't care anymore.

John sighed again, shaking his head. There really wasn't any helping today's society, was there? He took out his phone real quick, checking the time. "Almost time to head home." he remarked. "Hopefully Sera comes out soon. Any longer and-"

 ***BOOM~!***

Suddenly, the ground shook. Startled, everyone looked around for the source. Not far, a pile of black smoke quickly rose up to the air. "An explosion?" John frowned. "What's going on?" He noticed people suddenly rushing towards the sight.

"What's going on? An accident?"

"Didn't you hear?! That villain All Might was after took someone hostage!"

John's eyes widened. "All Might?!" he shouted in shock. The top hero in the world was here?! How was that possible? Moreover...a villain he was after was on a rampage? How in the world did he manage to get away? Perhaps the hero wasn't getting on in old age? Just as he was about to turn away, he found a familiar mass of green hair rushing along with the crowd. "Wait...is that Izuku?"

* * *

 _'Why?'_

That was the only question on Izuku's mind as he found himself rushing to the scene where a villain was wreaking havoc.

 _'Why? Why am I going?'_

* * *

 _ **'Professional Heroes are constantly risking their own lives to save others...but it's a risky job without a power.'**_

* * *

No matter how much Izuku tried to block out the words, he knew they were true. He was just rushing here on pure reflex. It was practically engraved in his body to watch whatever happened that involved Quirks and heroics and such. Even so, the words All Might had told him were harsh and continued to sting.

No matter what he tried...he would fail to reach his dream. It was out of reach.

 _'So why do I keep going?'_

The thought puzzled him. Left him confused by his own actions. Why did he bother going to investigate and see what hero would take action? Before long, he found himself among the crowd. He wasn't able to see what was happening from his position, but he could make out a few heroes. Mount Lady was not far off, though she seemed hesitant to charge in. Her Quirk increased her size, and the streets were too narrow. If she charged in, she'd end up crushing buildings. Death Arms was struggling to find a way to deal with the villain himself, along with Kamui Woods. The latter was understandable. Fire and wood do not mix together. Backdraft was more concerned with keeping the populace safe.

 _'And All Might isn't here either.'_ Izuku noted as he looked around. There was no sign of the beefy hero anywhere. And he knew it was his fault. _'If only I...'_

An explosion shook the ground. The crowd parted, and Izuku got a look at the villain. When he did, his heart dropped.

He could never forget that foul-smelling sludge.

 _'It's the villain from before!'_ Izuku thought in shock. _'B-but how?! All Might captured him!'_ His mind raced back to their meeting earlier. When he saw his true form. Back then...he couldn't see the bottles anywhere on his person. A hole formed in his stomach when he realized why. It had to have been back when he latched onto his leg! _'T-then...this is all my fault!'_

It was because he latched onto All Might to ask him questions that he lost track of the sludge villain. If he hadn't been so eager, All Might would've turned the villain in and none of this would've happened. Just as he was about to continue to wallow in self-pity, a familiar scream reached his ears.

However, this scream was not one of anger or pride...it was one of terror.

Izuku's head snapped up and his eyes widened upon seeing who the villain was holding hostage, as well as the source of the explosions.

It was Katsuki, his eyes wide in pure fear.

"Why aren't the heroes doing anything?!"

"It looks like they've met their match. Plus, the villain has a kid. It ain't looking good."

"Wait, isn't that the villain All Might was chasing?!"

"ALL MIGHT?! Where is he?! Shouldn't he be out here helping the other heroes?!"

 _'Why...? Why isn't anyone helping?'_

 _'Isn't there someone here who can save him?'_

 _'That's Kacchan. He's right there. He's dying.'_

 _'Why won't any of you help?!'_

 _'Why...why...?'_

His heart hammered in his chest. In the next second-

 _ **'WHY AM I JUST STANDING HERE?!'**_

-the crowd was forced to break away when he suddenly charged in, rushing right past Backdraft and Kamui Woods.

"Hey, kid! What are you doing?!" Kamui Woods cried out after noticing the boy rush past him.

The heroes cried out after him. He didn't listen. He didn't know why he was doing this. Rushing up to a villain without any powers was suicide. His rational thought kept screaming at him to stop running.

But his legs never stopped moving. The villain saw his approach, and the set of teeth it had out of its oozing body curled into a scowl. It raised an arm, ready to swipe him away. Izuku, however, wasn't about to be stopped. He remembered a vital note from one of his books - heroes must utilize their surroundings to their advantages. Use every distraction available. He swiftly took off his backpack and tossed it, letting the contents spill out. By luck, one of his notebooks struck the villain in the eye, causing it wail and giving him time to reach his friend.

Katsuki tore himself away from the sludge, gasping for breath. "D-Deku?!" he cried, completely taken aback to see the quirkless boy he tormented in front of him. "W-what're you doing here?!"

"I don't know!" he screamed, grabbing hold of his shoulders as he tried to pry him free. "M-My legs wouldn't stop!"

The villain was starting to recover. The sludge was clinging onto him even tighter. It was starting to pull him back in. "What are you doing, idiot?!" Katsuki shouted angrily. "Get out of here!"

"I CAN'T! I CAN'T STAND AND WATCH WHILE YOU DIE!"

Unbeknownst to Izuku at the time, his words relit an old fire in a certain someone. Just as the villain managed to regain his senses, rubbing his eye, a surprising pair of hands came and grabbed Katsuki by the shoulders. "Eh?!" Izukuturned, and found a familiar head of black hair next to him. "J-John!"

* * *

When he saw the villain rampaging while the heroes did nothing, completely unsure how to handle the situation, John realized just how bad the situation was.

The Heroes couldn't do anything because their Quirks were a poor match against the villain, and the bystanders were as useless as usual. Not even All Might, the Hero who was chasing the villain, has appeared.

The situation turned critical.

 _'And yet all of you are just content with watching this happen.'_ John thought. _'Why isn't anyone trying to help?' He was sure that there had to be at least one person with a decent quirk who could help. Yet as the situation progressed, no one stepped up to the plate._

He felt as if he were a hypocrite, though. He knew he could beat down that villain. With so many powerful heroes, he'd make quick work of the bastard. Ten seconds easy.

But...

* * *

 _ **'...monster.'**_

* * *

John's teeth clenched. His hands curled into fists. No, he couldn't do that. He swore he would never do that ever again. If he did, then...what were the odds he would repeat the same mistake as before? He withdrew himself, trying to stop the small, feeble part of him from getting involved. Damn that Izuku...his constant speech about heroes was starting to get to him.

Just as he was about to turn away and leave before he did something foolish...someone else did it for him.

"Hey, kid! What the hell are you doing?!"

John's eyes widened as he turned around. To his shock, he found the boy he had been chasing all the way here running past the crowd, running straight at the villain as fast as he could.

Izuku Midoriya, the Quirkless boy at school, was charging straight at the sludge villain.

"What the hell is that idiot doing?!" he hissed, rushing to the front of the crowd. "He's going to get himself killed!" Damn that hero complex of his! He wanted to be a hero so bad, even though he had no power! What was he thinking?! Against a villain, he had no power to him whatsoever! Why was he being reckless?!

His answer came when the villain turned and bore its gaze down on Izuku...with none other than Katsuki Bakugo, trapped in his slime.

Now it all made sense. Katsuki was in danger, and from the look of things, he was terrified out of his mind. Izuku must've noticed this and charged head in to save him. But even still...it was foolish. Why was he even risking his life to save someone like Katsuki? He was a horrible person. He treated pretty much everyone like shit! So then, why was he...?

* * *

 _ **'Why do you help me?'**_

 _ **'Because you looked like you needed it. Is that so wrong?'**_

* * *

His heart skipped a beat. His hands curled into fists. "...of all times." he cursed under his breath. "Why do you have to remind me of that day, Claire?"

Without warning, he shoved the crowd away from him, rushed past the heroes, and joined Izuku as quickly as he could.

"Hey, get back here!" Backdraft called out after noticing John enter the fray.

However, John didn't listen. In no time at all, he was right next to Izuku and grabbed hold of the fiery blonde's shoulders, proceeding to try and pull him out. "J-John?!" Izuku yelped in surprise. Out of everyone he expected to see help him, John was the last person he expected. "What are you doing here?!"

"That's my question, idiot!" he snapped. "Just shut up and pull! Bakugo, can't you use your Quirk?!"

"I can't!" The blonde managed to gasp. "This shitty sludge is controlling me!"

"Kekekeke...!" the villain grinned, looming over them as it pulled Katsuki back in. "I already have a wonderful meat suit! I don't need you two!"

John cursed as it raised its arm up at them. _'Dammit all! Bakugo can't use his Quirk, Izuku can't fight, and I...! I...!'_ He shut his eyes, trying to find a solution. He was always good at coming up with plans. Like Izuku, he found ways to counter Quirks. Studying and analyzing them for weaknesses. His hands curled into fists. _'I...!'_

...

...

...

...

...

* * *

 _ **'So that's your Quirk! That's pretty impressive, John!'**_

 _ **'R-Really? It doesn't seem that impressive though...'**_

 _ **'Are you kidding? I think it's pretty amazing!'**_

* * *

As the villain's hand descended, John's lips curved into a small, annoyed grin. _'Seriously, Claire...you just love hurting me, don't you?'_ Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the hand came down on them. His hands felt so sweaty now. His eyes opened back up, revealing blazing gold. _'But, fine...if you think my Quirk is that amazing...then just this once!'_

Suddenly, his eyes began to glow like fire. In that moment, a pulse echoed through his being. Sparks danced at his fingertips.

 _'Just this once..._ _ **I'LL LET LOOSE!'**_

He thrust his palm forward into the villain's face, unleashing a fiery explosion similar to Bakugo's Quirk. The main difference was that there were black flames mixed in with the normal orange.

The force of the explosion was also far more powerful than what Katsuki was normally capable of. It blew off a good portion of sludge from the main body, and it must have hurt like hell if the screaming was any indication. His hold on Katsuki weakened, allowing the two boys to pull him out. Izuku and John practically fell on their behinds. Katsuki gasped, flailing for a moment as he struggled for air.

"AAAAAAAGH! YOU FUCKING BRAT!" the villain roared, clutching the destroyed half of its scorched face. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

It created another hand, intending to grab and crush the three of them then and there. John's glowing eyes burned fiercely, small pops of explosions dancing in his hand as he readied himself for another blast. However, to his surprise, a large burly arm blocked the arm's advance.

"What a fool I am!" the owner of the arm said, tone boisterous and full of renewed vigor. John and Izuku's eyes trailed up the arm, and to their shock, its owner was none other than the grinning, broad face of All Might. "I lectured you on being a hero meant, but in the end I didn't follow my own example! No matter what you are, power or no power...a Hero...!"

His fingers curled into a fist. Power charged into the air. The villain's eyes widened in fright and tried to retreat. It was too late. His fate was sealed.

"Always risks his life! DETROIT...!"

Then, the fist came rushing forward.

"SMAAASH!"

Like before, the powerful blow struck the mass of slime and blew it away with the air pressure it created.

However, unlike before when the wind was constrained beneath the train tracks of an overpass, this one was free to let loose. A torrent of wind rushed up, piercing through the air pressure and twisting about the clouds. Mount Lady lowered her body, preventing any of the heroes from being caught in the impressive torrent of wind. Izuku and Katsuki were nearly thrown off, but John put his arms around the two of them. His eyes glowed even more brightly as another pulse echoed. His fingers dug into the concrete - skin becoming that of bark and burrowing into the earth like roots.

A transformation that was the result of a Quirk. A Quirk greatly resembling Kamui Woods'. Aside from the fact that John's bark was black instead of brown.

Soon, the whirlwind of air pressure died out. In its wake, everyone was left virtually stunned, staring at All Might as he stood there, tall and proud as the Symbol of Peace he was.

A bystander looked on in utter awe before he felt something wet splash against his nose. "Eh?" Stretching out a hand, he felt water cascading down his hand. Looking up, the clouds that swirled above them were dark and gray. More importantly, it was raining. "N-no way...its raining?!"

"Incredible..." Death Arms whispered in awe. "He did that...with a single blow."

All Might's movement was sluggish. He nearly stumbled on his legs, something that had not gone unnoticed by John. There was even a bit of blood leaking from his mouth. All Might, however, wiped it away and raised his arm - a sign of his victory.

Then the crowd erupted into applause and cheers for the Number One Hero.

* * *

After the Heroes gathered up the remains of sludge that was the villain that took Katsuki Bakugo hostage, police arrived and carted him away, right where he deserved. Meanwhile, the press had interviewed All Might about his dramatic victory and aide in the event. Izuku, Katsuki and John also received medical attention. The fiery blonde received the most, given his traumatic experience, though he was naturally brooding and cursing up a storm about how he ended up getting captured by some small-time weakling. He was even approached by a Hero, offering him a place in his department once he earned his degree.

John and Izuku, meanwhile, were scolded by Death Arms and Kamui Woods for their reckless actions. "Good grief." the wood-powered hero shook his head, crossing his arms. "You two ought to be more careful! Dealing with the villains is the heroes' jobs, not children."

The black-haired boy merely rolled his eyes. They had obviously mistaken the explosion he created to be Katsuki's doing.

If he had any say in it, it was going to stay that way.

By the time they were allowed to leave, dusk has settled. The sky was orange and the sun was setting. News was already starting to spread as well, not that either of the boys was interested.

"What a mess..." Izuku groaned, his head hanging low. "I never got the chance to apologize to All Might."

"Apologize?" John frowned. "What for?"

"O-oh, well, you see-"

"JOOOOOOOOHHHHHNNNNNNN!"

The two blinked, turning their heads to find a familiar mess of blonde hair charging forward, explosions raging behind him. John sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Seriously?" he asked himself before he wisely stepped out of Katsuki's attack range, avoiding him at the last second before stretching out his leg, catching his foot and sending him tumbling through the ground. He rolled about comically before stopping on his face, legs hanging in the air before falling on his back. "If you're going in for a sneak attack, at least try and be stealthy about it."

"Shut it!" Katsuki growled as he got up on his feet. In spite of the animosity, however, the two clearly saw a look of excitement in his eyes. "I saw what you did back there! You _motherfucker_! That was MY Quirk!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't bullshit me, you cheating asshole! You were using your Quirk to copy my power, weren't you?!" It was no accusation. It was a fact. Something which only made Katsuki even more enthralled. "So, you finally decided to stop pretending? Now I can finally beat your ass into the ground and see which one of us is really the strongest!"

John's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Seriously, I have no idea what you're talking about." he continued to deny. "You used your Quirk to blow half of that villain's face off. I had nothing to do with it."

"Che! Whatever!" Katsuki swiped his arm. "Fact is, you're finally taking me seriously! Come tomorrow, your ass is mine!" As he was about to turn and leave, he narrowed his eyes on Izuku. "Deku!" Said boy shrieked nervously, a shiver rising up his spine and expecting an explosion to come right at him. "I didn't ask for your help, and I sure as hell don't need a pissant like you looking down on me! I don't owe you shit, understand?!"

And with that, he took off, leaving the two in the dust. They exchanged a look with one another before they sweatdropped. 'Was that...an insult, or a thank you?' they wondered. It was so hard to tell what went on in that firecracker's head.

Regardless, John knew that the blonde would follow up his promise tomorrow, causing him to sigh. "Great..." he cursed his own idiotic tendency. If only he hadn't used his powers, then Katsuki wouldn't be so gung-ho. "That idiot's going to be on my case all day tomorrow."

"Y-yeah." Izuku nodded before a smile spread across his face. "But, even so...I thought it was awesome! I remember you telling me what your Quirk could do, but I didn't know it was that powerful! That explosion was seriously way more powerful than any of Kacchan's!"

Oh, great. Now even Izuku was riding on the train? "Look, seriously. I have no idea what you guys are-"

"John."

He stopped, turning to find none other than Seraphina standing close by. Immediately, the aforementioned boy felt unnerved by the emotionless and sharp glare she sent his way. "S-Senpai!" Izuku shouted in surprise. When had she arrived? "H-how long have you been there?"

"I just got here." she answered frankly. "As for you, John..."

The boy sweated. This was definitely because he left her hanging back at the shop, wasn't it? "I'm really sorry I didn't wait for you." he said, trying to placate her. "But I saw Izuku running somewhere, and I got worried. We found Bakugo being kidnapped by this slime villain, and-"

"How long?"

John blinked, startled. "E-eh?"

Seraphina's eyes narrowed. "How long have you had a Quirk?"

Suddenly, John froze. His heart clenched as if something held it in its grasp and refused to let go.

She knew.

She knew…he had a Quirk.

"U-um, wait a second!" Izuku immediately tried to run damage control, jumping to conclusions. "I-I think there's been some misunderstanding! J-John is-!"

"Izuku." John put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's fine." The meek boy still looked uncertain, but he wisely backed away. "Listen, I'll catch up with you later. Sera and I need...a moment." Slowly, the boy nodded. John then sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time before he turned back to Seraphina, watching him expectantly. They then moved away to somewhere more private, per his behest.

Last thing he needed was someone listening to this sob story of his.

* * *

Meanwhile, Izuku could only worry as he watched his friends leave. His mind was already running through outcomes of this talk...and so far, none of them seemed pleasant. "O-oh man..." he whimpered. "This can't end well for John..."

"My word. I know the look in that girl's eye. When a girl and a boy go in for a serious conversation, it either ends in a break up...or a beat down."

"No kidding...wait, huh?!" Spinning on his heel, Izuku came face to face with a face he was quickly becoming familiar with. " _A-ALL MIGHT?!"_

The man grinned. " _ **I AM HERE!"**_

"H-how?! What?! W-when'd you get away from those reporters?!"

All Might laughed. "I stand for justice, not sounds bites! Because I am-HURK!"

Suddenly, his muscular form deflated as steam blew out of him, followed by blood spewing out of his mouth. As usual, the meek boy promptly panicked. "Y-you're coughing up blood! Do you need a hospital?!"

"I-it's fine..." All Might coughed, waving a hand to ward off his concern. "Happens all the time." He then cleared his throat, staring at Izuku dead in the eyes. There was a certain intensity behind them, one that made him stand up straighter. The hairs on the back of his neck stood at full attention, and his ears curved to listen carefully lest he miss a word. "Young man...I came here to thank you for what you have done today, and to discuss your question from earlier."

"...huh?"

"If you hadn't told me of your life...if you hadn't run into that fight...I'd have been no better than the crowd that watched it all happen. A mere bystander. For that, I owe you my thanks."

"I-it was nothing...I...I just moved without thinking..." He tried to explain, but it only made All Might smile wider.

"That's precisely why I am grateful. If you hadn't reminded me of this...I would've simply been Fake Muscles and Fake Sincerity. It was you, my boy, who reminded me what the essence of being a true hero is."

Izuku's cheeks turned scarlet, squirming. "B-but it was my fault that the villain got away in the first place." he pointed out shamefully. "A-and if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have wasted your energy in the first place."

"Yet it was because of you that I found myself acting." All Might stated firmly, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "There's always one or two great stories about a hero. Of how they became the people they are...and they have one thing in common." Izuku's eyes widened, remembering the movement of his legs, charging in blindly as he rushed to save Katsuki. "Their legs moved on their own...before they could think about what they were doing. No, it would be more accurate to say that they didn't think. They just moved and never stopped."

Without realizing it, Izuku's body was shaking. He knew what All Might was getting at. He knew where it was heading...yet he was deathly terrified. Of where it could go. The words his mother told him when he once asked her if he could be a hero came back to mind. How she sobbed and held him tightly, apologizing as if him being Quirkless without a chance of becoming a hero was all her fault. He felt his eyes turn watery. His legs could barely keep themselves up.

"And today..." All Might opened his eyes, bearing down on Izuku with a look of respect and warmth. "...that is EXACTLY what you did, young man."

 _'No...don't say it...'_

His heart was hammering. The words he feared to hear...the words he so desperately wanted to hear all of his life...he was scared to hear them.

And yet, as All Might spoke, there was no stopping the tears of joy falling from his face.

"Izuku Midoriya..." his idol spoke in a solemn, powerful voice. For a moment, the meek boy thought he was back in his powerful, muscular self as the sheer charisma pour out of him, washing over Izuku as he said the five words he'd been waiting to hear all of his life. "You can become a hero!"

There it was. Those very words relit the spark of hope within his soul. The hope that despite his circumstances, he could become what he's always wanted to be.

 **A Hero.**

This...this was the best day in his life...

* * *

This...this was the worst day in his life.

"So..." John said slowly as he sat across from Sera at a nearby bakery, his face wracked with nervousness and seriousness all at the same time. "What do you want to know?"

Seraphina's face crunched up. "For starters, why you lied." she said. Though her face was as straight as iron, there was a look of hurt in her eyes. "For a whole year, you told me and everyone around you that you were Quirkless...but I know what I saw." Her fingernail tapped against the table in a rhythmic motion. A tick that only made him even more nervous than he already was. "When you attacked that villain, that explosion was definitely from Katsuki's Quirk...but it was significantly more powerful. Katsuki was also still trapped in the sludge, so his explosions wouldn't have been very powerful. Then there's when All Might created that intense gust of wind. That should have knocked you, Baka-go and Mido-kun off your feet, yet you dug your fingers into the ground to keep you from flying off."

John sighed, palming his forehead. "So...you saw all of that?"

"Yes...and I want the truth, John. Now." Seraphina leaned forward, elbows pressed against the edges. "Why have you been lying? To everyone?"

 _'To me?'_

That was the unspoken question that she left out. She didn't need to say it, though. John knew that her look pretty much said it for her. He cringed inwardly, as for a moment, Seraphina's image overlapped with another: a girl with bright green hair and pinkish-red eyes.

After a moment of silence, he broke it and set his cup down, looking her dead in the eye.

"...what do you know about the King of Bostin Junior High?"

-Prologue: END-

 _NEXT TIME!_

 _Seraphina: Wait...YOU were the King of Bostin?!_

 _All Might: I have determined you as my successor...the inheritor of my power, One For All!_

 _John: When I obtained my Quirk, the first thing I did was beat the crap out of the bullies who made my life hell there. I didn't know that one of them was apparently the King until after the fact. Next thing I knew, everyone in school knew exactly who the new King was._

 _Izuku: Th-this...is hard...!_

 _John: One day, someone rallied over half of the 7th Grade class and tried to take me down. And I..._

Episode 1: King and Queen!

 _All Might: Push on forward!_ _ **PLUS ULTRA!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride. The creator of many fantastic masterpieces such as: Code Geass: Lelouch of the R-eset, Persona 4: The Unseen Truth, DxD: Final, DxD: Nocturne, RWBY: Colorless Memories, RWBY: Black Rebellion, RWBY: Final Judgment, Bloom, Wilt, and Scatter, Drifting towards Rebellion, The Reversed Fool of Justice, Persona 5: Hoshi to Bokura to, Outsiders, Die Set Down, Fate: Breaker, Fate: stay night: Dragon of Dragons, Digimon D-Code: Error of Hades, Metastability, The Taken King, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing.**

 **I highly recommend you check them all out.**

 **I really appreciate your help, man. Couldn't have done this without ya!**

 **PLEASE READ: This story is a crossover between My Hero Academia, and the Webtoon, unOrdinary by Uru-chan. We highly recommend to check it out in order to better understand this story, for there will be spoilers. Plus, it is an amazing piece of work by Uru-chan, who owns unOrdinary. This crossover will feature characters from unOrdinary.**

 **Also, the cover image was made by and belongs to Uru-chan.**

* * *

 _It was during the first few months at Bostin in the sixth grade that I discovered my Quirk._

 _I...wasn't like most kids. By the time we hit Elementary school, everyone had already developed a Quirk. Izuku and I didn't. At least, not at first._

 _We kept our heads down, trying to ignore the bullies and fight back against them, even though we were hopelessly outmatched. We powered through all of the abuse until we hit Middle School._

 _Izuku had chosen to attend Orudera Prep School. As for me, I chose Bostin Junior High._

 _"Why?"_

 _Because it seemed like a good idea at the time. First week there, I learned it was a stupid decision. The bullying there was worse. A LOT worse. For weeks, anyone and everyone at that school that had a Quirk was on my ass every moment of my life. They made people like Bakugo look like kittens in comparison._

 _Out of everyone, though...there was one person who stood up for me. She was in the same grade as me, but she had a lot of respect. She was the first friend I ever made there. The first person who ever gave a damn._

 _And she was also the one who helped me discover my Quirk._

 _"How do you mean?"_

 _Her Quirk was called "Clairvoyance." Supposedly, she could see into the future. How far and how much, I didn't know. All she said was: in two months, I would discover my own talent._

 _"Did you?"_

 _It happened when a bunch of guys ambushed me on my home from school. They thought they could mess with me. They were wrong._

 _"What happened?"_

 _...my Quirk happened. It manifested during the middle of the fight. At first, I didn't know what had happened. When the dust settled...I was ecstatic. Turns out I was one of the "late bloomers." Claire thought my Quirk was incredible. That there wasn't anything like it. And I knew it. It was like I was on a sugar rush after clearing out an entire candy store._

 _When I obtained my Quirk, the first thing I did was beat the crap out of the bullies who made my life hell there. I didn't know that one of them was apparently the King until after the fact. Next thing I knew, everyone in school knew exactly who the new King was._

 _My name quickly spread around the school. Soon, a lot of people started challenging me. Most of them were the people who tormented me every chance they had. One by one, I crushed them. At some point, I must have thought I was invincible, because four months into the semester...I demolished the entire sixth grade class._

 _Everyone was afraid of me. They even had a new nickname for me._

 _'John the Tyrant.'_

 _I...enjoyed how everyone was scared of me. For the first time in my entire life, I was the bully. I was the one with all the power. Claire, though...she didn't like what I was doing. She was telling me to stop. And Izuku? He didn't know anything. I knew he had his suspicions, but I never mentioned anything about what was going on at school._

 _One day, someone rallied over half of the 7th Grade class and tried to take me down. And I..._

 _...I crushed them. All of them. One by one._

 _I found out later that Claire was the one who set the whole thing up. She wanted to stop me. To show me what I was becoming._

 _She was too little, too late. By the time I realized it, it was too late. She didn't see me as her friend. She never saw me as the kid who she protected. All she saw...was a monster._

 _I was expelled from school after that. Thanks to my dad, we were able to sweep the whole thing under the rug. No one knew what happened._

 _I swore, on that day, that no matter what...I would NEVER use my Quirk ever again._

 _Six months later...I enrolled at Izuku's school._

 _As far as anyone there knew...I was just the Quirkless kid: John Doe._

* * *

 **A Boku no Hero Academia x UnOrdinary Crossover:**

 **My Hero Academia: The UnOrdinary Ones**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 1: King and Queen_**

"Wait." Seraphina stopped him, eyes wide in disbelief. "YOU were the King of Bostin?! The Tyrant?!"

She had only heard of the Tyrant in passing. About a boy her age completely demolishing his entire class and rose to the top of his school. He was the main point of gossip for students in her class. Wondering who he was or where he came from. But after a point in time, he was expelled from his school and all discussion about him died out as well. She wondered what happened to him after that. Now she knew...

John bit his lip and bobbed his head once. He truly didn't like to revisit those memories. Even now, they still stung.

Yet Sera wanted answers after what she witnessed. She wouldn't take no for an answer. So John decided to be honest with her.

"Because of my dad's work, he had a few connections." he told her. "He was able to make everything go away. As far as anyone knew, other than the students themselves, there was no 'John Doe' that ever attended Bostin. The faculty was happy about it, too, since they thought I had ruined their stellar reputation." He gave a low sigh, dragging a hand down his face. "After that, dad decided to home-school me. I remained at the top of my class, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw Claire glaring at me."

Every time he tried to fall asleep, the image of the friend he lost would appear in his mind. Her light green, twin braided hair scuffed with dirt. Her red eyes narrowed in a sharp, tearful glare. She bit her lower lip, whether out of anger or sorrow, he did not know.

A stark contrast from the kind smile she gave him when they first met. The sting of her slap remained fresh in his mind as well.

"When my dad started to notice, he recommended I go to therapy. The sessions didn't help much...but it gave me some sense of normalcy. Every time I thought back to my time in Bostin, I kept thinking: what would have happened if I...never got my Quirk?"

At this, Seraphina lost her intense gaze. Instead, her eyes softened. "...so you decided to become Quirkless."

John nodded. "After I passed the requirements, my dad enrolled me in Orudera Junior High. At first, I was against it. I wanted a fresh start, but...two people knew I had a Quirk. Izuku and Bakugo." The dark-haired boy laughed a bit, remembering how scandalized and shocked Izuku looked when he saw him walking into that classroom. "Izuku looked so shocked to see me. I never told him why I was expelled from Bostin, and he never asked. He also never told anyone that I had a Quirk when someone asked me what my ability was. For some weird reason, Katsuki didn't bother to tell anyone, either."

"Why?"

"You remember how I told you that, when I got my Quirk, I paid back every bully who picked on me in full?" he asked. "Well, Katsuki was one of them. He was not happy when he lost, and ever since that day, he's constantly challenged me to a fight. Right to the day I was expelled from Bostin." John could only chuckle nervously, remembering the furious look on the volatile blonde's face when he discovered he lied to the entire school that he was Quirkless. "He thought we must have had a rivalry going on, because when I told everyone that I was quirkless, he called me a cheating bastard. To him, me saying I was Quirkless was the same as admitting defeat. And it was not the way he wanted it to go."

Bakugo was just too prideful to let such a thing happen. Simply bowing out like that was an insult to him. John didn't do it intentionally...it was simply how the blonde interpreted his actions.

"So I take it that's why he keeps yelling how he wanted to settle the score with you?" She asked.

"Yep...And now that I used my Quirk, he really won't take no for an answer this time." A groan rumbled from his throat. "I panicked when I saw that thing coming at us, so I thought, maybe just this once, I'd use my Quirk...and now Bakugo's dead set on challenging me until one of us drops."

REALLY wasn't thinking the repercussions of his actions for using his Quirk like that...Unfortunately, the past is the past. There was no hope changing it.

And now he has to deal with the consequence.

"Hey...if you hadn't used your Quirk back then, then you and Mido-kun would probably be dead right now..." Sera stated.

John couldn't refute that because she was right. If he hadn't used his Quirk, they would be dead. Of course, it still didn't change facts. Even now, there was a bitter taste in his mouth. He swore he would never use his Quirk again, yet thanks to Izuku rubbing off on him, he found himself breaking that vow. Yes, doing so saved his friends' lives, but he still broke that promise.

It was laughable, really.

"...for what it's worth John." Seraphina said after a minute of silence. "I think that Quirk of yours is impressive."

Instantly, his heart danced and skipped a beat. His head snapped up so quick he thought he heard the bones in his neck pop. John stared at Seraphina with wide eyes, unable to believe what she had just said to him.

"C-come again?"

"I mean, it's pretty amazing. From what I've seen, you're able to copy the quirks of others and even augment them in various ways. Like adding more power to Bakago's explosions, or taking root with Kamui Woods' quirk to stop you, Bakago, and Mido-kun from flying off."

Heat rose to his face as he turned away, scratching his cheek. "I-it isn't that impressive. I mean, if it weren't for this, Claire-"

"Quit worrying so much on the past." Seraphina cut him off. "Besides...from what you told me, would the so-called King of Bostin really use his Quirk to save Mido-kun and Baka-go?" John's eyes widened from that statement. No...no the King wouldn't have done that. He would've just left those two be. "You see?" the girl in front of him smiled. "You're better than that person. Nowhere, in front of me, do I see someone who used his Quirk for selfish reasons."

"Yeah...I guess you're right...as usual."

Seraphina smirked. "I usually am." she said with a shrug before she took a sip of her beverage, closing one eye while narrowing the other. "Just so you know, though...I haven't forgiven you completely for lying."

John sweatdropped.

* * *

Izuku Midoriya had never felt so happy in his entire life until this very moment.

"Izuku Midoriya..." the man before him - All Might. The Symbol of Peace. His idol - said with a booming voice of conviction. "You can be a hero!"

words...those were the words he has been wanting to hear all his life! And here he was...hearing those words from his idol, All Might himself!

Tears were running down his face. His legs gave out, leaving him to clutch his shirt in hopes of a futile attempt to alleviate the tightness in his chest as his heart rammed against his chest like a drum in the middle of a solo from a Heavy metal band. To think that the words he wanted to hear for nearly all of his life would be from the person he aspired to be like for so long. The events from today - the meeting with the villain and learning All Might's secret - had almost seemed like a dream to him now.

"Young man. I have deemed you worthy of inheriting my power." All Might spoke, as if making a declaration. "My Quirk is yours to command."

Izuku blinked, looking up to see his hero staring at him with the same intense gaze as before, accept now there was a sign of approval and satisfaction, as if he had made the correct choice. His words, however, caused him to cock his head.

"...eh? I-Inherit? Inherit what?"

All Might laughed, rearing his head back. "You should see your face!" he said joyfully before stepping froward. "Don't worry. I'm not forcing it on you. Now then, do you accept this offer?"

"O-offer?" Izuku stammered. He was so confused. Inheriting his power? His Quirk was his to command? What did any of that mean? "W-what do you mean?"

All Might didn't answer him at first. Instead, he closed his eyes and folded his arms, looking up at the setting sky above them. "For the longest time, journalists have always guessed what my Quirk was. Super Strength or possibly invulnerability. When asked about it directly, I always dodged the question and made a joke...because the world needed to believe that their Symbol of Peace was like them: that their hero held a power just like them, gifted to them at birth." A throaty chuckle escaped him as he shook his head, a wry smile on his face. "Of course, they couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, I was not born with this power. It was gifted to me by someone I looked up to with all of my heart."

"N-not born with it?" Izuku parroted. "What does...that..." Suddenly, it hit him like a freight train. Where he standing, he would have lost all strength and fallen to the floor once again as his eyes became as big as dinner plates. "Y-you mean...you're Quirkless?!"

All Might nodded. "That is correct." he said. "My Quirk is like a torch, passed on to one generation from another. A Quirk that can be given to others - and with it, the strength of those who wielded it." He held out a hand, forming it into a tight fist. "That is the Quirk that was given to me by my predecessor...One For All!"

Izuku couldn't believe his ears. This was all so surreal to him. First he meets his Hero, then said Hero wants him to be his successor, now he learns that his idol was born Quirkless like him?! He had to pinch himself several times to ensure that he was not dreaming all of this.

"And now, young man...I have decided that you shall be the next wielder of One for All."

The meek boy shook his head. "Wa-wait, hold on! This is too much!" he said, waving his hands. "H-how exactly can a Quirk be transferred to someone? Moreover, how can it give you the power of other wielders?! Could it be some kind of stockpiling Quirk? I've heard that some Quirks can store up energy under the correct circumstances, b-but how can it be transferred? By blood? Will? H-how is this even-"

"Whoa there! Calm down, motor mouth!" All Might chuckled by the boy's enthusiasm. It was good to know the boy was well-educated on the natures of quirks and determined...but it seemed a little much.

It served to snap Izuku out of his ramblings, before he shook his head. "S-sorry...but why me?" he asked, staring at All Might in confusion. There was absolutely nothing special about him whatsoever. He was Quirkless. Sure, he had good knowledge about Quirks given his notes, but that was it. His smarts were the only thing that seemed to do him any good. "Why choose me as your successor? Why do you think I could live up to the legacy of One for All?"

"I was on the hunt for a worthy successor for some time now. And then, I watched you jump into action back there as the rest of us stood idly by. You may have just been a Quirkless fanboy, but you tried to save that kid. You acted like a Hero." The thin man leaned forward, placing a hand atop his head. "And it was because of you that I remembered just what it meant to be a hero." In spite of the blood that gushed from his mouth, a wide grin formed across his face. "And that makes you more than worthy. So then, Young Midoriya...will you be my successor?"

oJubilation welled up within the green haired boy once more. All Might ap was choosing him as his successor?! The answer was obvious. "Yes! Yes I will be your successor, All Might!"

"Hahahaha! Good answer!" All Might grinned. "In that case, my boy, meet me at the beach first thing tomorrow! We have a long day ahead of us!"

* * *

When John returned home, he felt utterly exhausted. No sooner had he stepped into the living room had the strength in his body leave him and fall face-first into the soft cushion that was his couch. "What a day..."

He was physically and emotionally exhausted. Emotionally because of that trip back down memory lane at Bostin when he told Sera about his past, and physically because of that villain incident earlier. Using two Quirks like that drained a fair amount of stamina and mental power, and his fatigue grew even worse after Sera dragged him off to another shopping spree to try and make it up to her for lying.

The boy looked at his hands. For a moment, black wisps danced around his hands as bark formed his skin. Seconds later, it changed into murky black water - the Quirk of Backdraft.

"What did Claire call it again?" John murmured, dismissing his Quirk. "Oh, right...Wild Card."

 **-QUIRK INFO!-**

 **WILD CARD** **  
** **User: John Doe**

 **A true Jack-of-all Trades! At the expense of stamina and mental strength, John can copy the powers of any Quirk he sees! Strength enhancement, transformation, liquefaction - the sky is the limit! It is also a meta-ability: so long as the powers are compatible, John can mix together the powers of multiple Quirks and unleash deadly combos!**

 **-QUIRK INFO!-**

With a Quirk such as his...it was no wonder he became the new King of Bostin in such a short period of time. As well as being able to defeat over half of the students in his grade.

It was an arduous effort, but he managed to fall on top once more.

And now since the cats out of the bag...he would have to become reaccustomed to the Quirk he hasn't used in over a year.

That, and he would need it if he was going to survive Katsuki tomorrow. Once more, he ruffled his hair out of frustration. Now that Katsuki knows he's using his Quirk again, he's gonna be pretty damn insistent for a fight.

What a horrible situation.

 ** _'You know...instead of using it for yourself, why not use it for other people? That's what all the heroes do.'_**

 ** _'But I'm not a hero.'_**

 ** _'What makes you say that?'_**

 ** _'Because a hero wouldn't beat up his bullies.'_**

He sighed, putting a hand to his face, closing his eyes. Once more, the image of Claire flashed in his mind, her bangs overshadowing her eyes. "And a hero wouldn't hurt his friends..." he murmured. No matter how powerful his Quirk was, it was useless in the hands of someone who used it selfishly. Because of what happened back in Bostin, he never once considered himself to be hero material. If anyone could be a hero...it was Izuku and Claire. "...then again, your Clairvoyance should have told you that, Claire."

It was the one thing that has been bugging him all this time. With her Clairvoyance, she knew that he would awaken his Quirk. Yet she never told him what would happen when it did. If she could see into the future, then wouldn't she have known that he would become the Tyrant of Bostin? If so, then why didn't she try to stop him? Why did she let him go down that destructive path?

When he first realized this...he assumed that Claire was simply using him for her own benefit. But after going through counseling and remembering her anguished glare...that might not have been the case at all.

In the end, all he could do was speculate. Think and ponder on what went through her head. Shaking his head, he rolled over. He would have gone up to his bed, but he was so tired. The couch was too comfortable.

"Tomorrow's gonna suck." John predicted as he closed his eyes. Just before he could go to sleep, though, his phone buzzed. Frowning, he took out his cell phone. It was a text from Seraphina. "Sera...?"

Curious, he opened and read the message:

[Meet me at the beach first thing in the morning. Something came up.]

The beach? In the morning? That really was strange. He wondered why she would request that of him? Too tired to ponder on it for long, John typed a quick [Ok] in reply before putting away his phone and cooking out on the sofa. He would ask more details about it in the morning.

For now though: Rest.

Without a second thought, he closed his eyes. In seconds, he was snoring on the couch.

* * *

The Dagoba Municipal Beach Park.

In the past, it used to be a very beautiful place. Families and couples would walk along the beach, watching the waves crash up against their feet and look out past the horizon as the seagulls squawked above them, flying high in the sky. However, in recent years, trash has begun to collect up on the shores...and by trash, we mean piles and heaps of junk: dishwashers, old car parts, tables, giant monster truck car wheels - ungodly amounts of trash was found all over the place.

As per All Might's request, Izuku had arrived early in the morning, looking somewhat confused. "What's...going on?" he asked, looking around. "Why did you ask me to meet you here?"

The thin man that was All Might chuckled, raising a finger. "Before I can even think about giving you my quirk, we need to toughen your body." he said, earning a confused look. "Let's put it this way: imagine One For All as a pool of water, and your body as its container. If we were to try and dump the water in your body as its container, well...you'd break apart if you tried to use it once." Izuku's face paled, the gruesome image of his body torn apart echoed in his head. "So before that, we need to toughen you up. We need your body to be sturdy enough to withstand its use. The Yuuei Entrance Exam is in ten months...so in that time, Young Midoriya, we're going to build your body's muscles to the ground up!"

"I-I see." Izuku nodded slowly, looking at his own physique. Compared to Katsuki or John, both of which kept themselves in fit shape, his was sorely lacking. "So before I can use One For All, I need to build my strength."

"Exactly. And the perfect way to do that..." All Might grinned. "...is to remove every last piece of trash on this beach!"

Izuku's mind went blank as it processed the task. He was supposed to clean up all the junk on this beach. By himself. In ten months...

Then it finally sank in.

"...EEEEEEEHHHH?!" The boy's jaw dropped. Was it even possible for him to do such a thing?! "All of this in ten months?!" he cried in disbelief. "B-but that's impossible! How am I supposed to move this in ten months?!"

Suddenly, All Might's form expanded into that of the Symbol of Peace, producing a few sheets of paper from his person. "Not to worry, my boy!" he said, grinning ear-to-ear. "You shall succeed...with my Aim To Pass American Dream Plan!" Handing Izuku the papers, he saw that it was a scheduled routine, written down to the tiniest minute detail. "Follow this down to the letter, and the beach will be cleared up, just in time! I've also calculated every aspect of your life while I was at it!"

And he wasn't joking. From his morning routines to his eating habits - everything was taken into consideration. "Even my sleep is planned..."

"If I'm being honest, this plan requires the utmost attention and dedication." All Might folded his arms. "When it comes to hero work, you have to be ready and willing to do whatever you can to face your challenges head on! Without a power to rely on, its a tough job! And no Hero Course is as tough as Yuuei! Such rigorous tests demand such rigorous training, don't you think?!"

Strangely, the plans didn't bother Izuku in the least. If anything, it only made his heart swell in pride. All Might was training him to become a hero - to become his successor. A new Symbol of Peace. Someone that could make the public feel safe! He looked up from the documents, and grinned. "Of course!"

"Excellent! You're a real go-getter, you fanboy!" All Might cackled before raising a finger. "Of course...training is well and good. But what's also important is real-life combat experience!"

This made the green-haired fanboy blinked. "C-combat experience?" he asked timidly. "Y-you mean...I have to spar against you!"

"Heavens no!" All Might shook his head. "Even if I held back with all my strength, one punch would surely send you flying! That's why I took the liberty of asking the daughter of a dear friend of mine to help build up your experience!"

"R-really?" he gulped. Already, his mind was in overdrive, thinking of pro heroes All Might was known to work well with. The best he could think of was maybe Endeavor. While they were most certainly not partners, they had worked together on more than one occasion. In fact, Endeavor believed that they were rivals and wished to usurp his position. The next best candidate would be Sir Nighteye. He was a retired Pro Hero, but he was also All Might's sidekick. "W-who?"

"Her name's-"

"I-Izuku?" Blinking, the two turned. To Izuku's shock, standing not far away was Seraphina, wearing her casual white tanktop and jeans. Behind her was John, who was rubbing his eye sleepily. Going by his mess of hair, it was clear he had just woken up and tossed on a black shirt and pants while still half-asleep. "What're you doing here?" She then took notice of All Might, causing him to panic. Oh crap, how was he supposed to explain this to her? Fortunately for him, he didn't have to as she blinked rapidly, followed by her jaw dropping. "Wait...don't tell me YOU were the one Uncle Yagi made his successor?"

This, of course, made Izuku blink. It also caused John to snap fully awake, now aware of the presence of the world's greatest hero. They looked back and forth between him and Seraphina before her words registered in their minds. Their brains had to reboot before they could comprehend what she said.

When it finally sunk in, they could only shout: "WAIT, WHAT?!"

"Oh!" All Might gasped pleasantly. "I wasn't aware you and Young Midoriya were already acquainted, Little Sera!"

Seraphina groaned. "I've asked you repeatedly not to call me that." she grumbled, folding her arms and looking away.

"Hah!" the burly man chuckled. "As soon as you stop calling me 'Uncle!'"

"Well, you're the closest person I have as an uncle, so I guess it's a futile effort..." She shook her head.

"Hold up, hold up...HOLD. UP!" John announced with raised palms. "Back up a second here. Just what is going on here? What's this about a successor? What's Izuku got to do with all this? And Sera? What's this about All Might, the Number One Pro Hero, being your uncle?!"

The Symbol of Peace then took notice of John, looking at Sera. "Is he..."

She gave a nod. "You can trust him."

"Alright then." With a puff of steam, his form deflated. The result was John's eyes bugging out of his head, watching as the man every person revered and respected deflate into a man who looked nothing short of skin and bones. "Formal introductions, then. I am Toshinori Yagi, also known as All Might. A pleasure to meet you."

From there, All Might and Seraphina began to explain All Might - Toshinori's history. His unknown battle from five years ago which left him crippled. The true nature of his Quirk: One For All. His encounter with Izuku sparking an old fire in him. And lastly, his search of a successor.

"So then...because Izuku ran headfirst into a fight with a villain, you chose him to be your successor?" John summarized with a quirked eyebrow. "And your Quirk stockpiles the powers accumulated by its original users, more or less making it into a continuously growing warehouse of raw power?"

"Correct, young man." Toshinori nodded. "However, before I can give Young Midoriya One For All, his body must be strong enough to withstand its usage. To that end, I've asked Little Sera to aide me in his training. Specifically, to increase his combat experience."

"Yep. Just because his successor, this case being Mido-kun, builds up his body to withstand One for All, it wouldn't be worth much unless he knew how to use it and fight." She explained.

"So...is that why you invited me as well?" John asked with a quirked brow.

"Well, given what you told me, you must have a good deal in combat experience. So I figured, why not?" She then cracked a small grin that sent shivers down the two boys' spines. It seemed eerily familiar to that of Katsuki whenever he was fired up. "Besides...you haven't used that Quirk of yours for a year, right? I figured this would be the best way to whip you up into shape."

"H-hold on a second here! What's my Quirk got to do with anything?!"

"Simple: you're coming to Yuuei with me and Mido-kun." Seraphina stated without hesitation, her tone dead serious. "No questions asked."

"Wait, what?" John asked as his expression fell to one of confusion. Did he hear her right? "I-I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"It's as I said. You're coming with us to Yuuei. No questions asked."

"...WHAT?!" For a moment, Izuku could have sworn he saw some of the garbage stacked atop each other tremble a bit with the force of the shout. "What do you mean I'm coming to Yuuei with you?!" John cried in shock and disbelief. "I thought you said you weren't going to Yuuei!"

"I know I said that before...But I changed my mind." Sera crossed her arms.

"But why?"

"Why else? To keep an eye on Mido-kun. Certainly not to please that woman."

"O…kay...but why do you want me to go with you? I already said I didn't plan on becoming a Hero."

"Because you have potential, John." Seraphina said, her eyes staring right back at him. "Don't you see? Even if you don't want to become a hero...you can't simply let your Quirk go to waste. You always told me how idiotic people were. How most people in a crowd of bystanders had some kind of Quirk they could use, but refused to. You always mentioned how you wanted a society like that to change."

John shifted uncomfortably where he stood, feeling Toshinori and Izuku looking at him with foreign expressions. "I-I know what I said, but..."

"You have powers, John. Powers that could let you change the society you find to be so disgusting. So why aren't you using them?" Her eyes narrowed, and her tone became harsh. "Or are you that afraid?"

John flinched as soon as she mentioned it. As much as he hated to admit it, she hit the nail on the head. Yes, he was afraid. Afraid that he would become the Tyrant once more. Afraid that his power would go to his head again. Afraid that he would lose even more friends.

The mere thought of using his Quirk again brought forth the image of the fallen seventh grade class and Claire, all of whom looked battered and beaten before him. In the middle was him, his arms changed to the effects of a Quirk he copied from one of his classmates.

"I..."

"This isn't Bostin anymore." Seraphina told him. "And you're not the Tyrant. The person in front of me is John Doe, a boy with an amazing Quirk who can change the society he thinks is so horrible. He is nothing like the Tyrant of Bostin. So let me ask you something, John."

In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of him - a fist reared back.

"What are you afraid of?!"

Both boys panicked, especially Izuku. "John!" he shouted in worry. With the fist coming down on his face, John's reflexes kicked in faster than he could repress them. His eyes glowed, and a pulse ran through his body. In seconds, his arms were up. The fist smashed into them, and he skidded back, kicking up sand in the process. He slid to a stop - steam flowing off his sleeves, which now had tears in them.

 _'Damn...'_ John winced, feeling the full force of that punch in his arms. _'Not even Death Arms' Strength Enhancement Quirk holds up to Sera's...her strength, even without the cause-and-effects of stopping time, is unreal!'_

"Is that all you got?!" Sera appeared before him again with a reared fist. The raven-haired boy reacted again and raised his arms to block it. Just as her attack was about to connect, Seraphina vanished from his field of vision. Surprised at the action, John became alert and immediately turned on his heel.

Using both his arms, he intercepted her kick.

This time, the force of the kick threw him right off of his feet and was sent hurling through the air. This time, his arms became encased in black bark, which then shot out and latched unto a nearby flagpole buried in the sand. He swung around and landed back on the ground before he found Seraphina above him, her leg going in for an axe kick. John extended his hand to the side, and black murky water exploded from his hand, shooting him out of range of Seraphina's kick.

Sera dropped to the ground and rushed at him after regaining her footing. She raised her fist for another punch. John raised his arm and a mass of black mist billowed out between them. Seraphina ceased her advance, stopped time to prevent the cloud from coming closer, and moved to flank her opponents' side.

Time resumed with Seraphina twisting around to deal a reverse roundhouse aimed for John's head. The boy ducked underneath it, grabbed her outstretched limb, and flung her away. Seraphina twirled in the air and landed on her feet before resuming the fight.

The two teens continued to trade blows as the remaining two bystanders watch. Izuku's expression was one of a mix of worry and intrigue. Worry due to the fact his friends were fighting, and intrigue for being able to see their Quirks in action. He couldn't tear his eyes away.

All Might though...was a different story. His ever-present smile had faltered upon witnessing what John had done.

The boy had utilized multiple Quirks.

The only person he knew who could do such a thing was that man...but that was impossible. The odds of them having the same Quirk were next to none.

"A-amazing..." Izuku muttered, stars in his eyes. "I knew senpai's Time Stop Quirk was impressive, but she's using it in a way to catch her opponents off guard! She can strike from virtually anywhere! But I wonder what the downside is? Stopping time for so long must have some kind of drawback. As for strength, she's bound to run out of steam at some point, but she didn't earn her title as the Queen of Orudera for nothing! John's mimicry is able to keep her on her toes, though. From a certain standpoint, it looks like they're on even grounds. John said that he can use any Quirk he sees so long as they're in action, but how many can he use? And for how long? So far, he's used Kacchan's Quirk, Kamui Woods and Backdrafts. I wonder if watching a Quirk being used on TV allows him to use it...?"

Aaand there went his apprentice, off with his motor mouth. As he spoke, though, Toshinori's eyes narrowed. _'Copy any Quirk he sees?'_

Meanwhile, John slammed his fist into the ground, letting black roots spread out into the earth. A rumble beneath Seraphina's feet alerted her of an attack coming from below. Quickly, she jumped back. Spires of black wood erupted, though they broke apart when John ripped his hands out from the ground, proceeding to let loose a torrent of black water aimed at her. It wouldn't hurt her, but it would distract her long enough to give him some breath.

Sadly, he never got the option. Seraphina used her Quirk again, letting time come to a halt, and jumped over the stream. As time returned to normal, she was already within range to deal an elbow blow. John was caught off guard as the blow came unexpectedly, blowing the wind out of his sails. Furthermore, the force was enough to knock him into a pile of trash, which proceeded to come down on top of him. As a result, he was buried beneath the heaps of garbage.

Seraphina huffed, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "Is that it, John?" she asked. "When you told me about your Quirk, I expected a lot more! Is this all the King of Bostin has to offer! Or is this just to tell me how terrified you are?!"

The raven-haired boy clenched his fists in frustration. He pulled himself out of the pile as the glow in his eyes intensified. "If you wanna see more.. _.then how about this_?!" He slammed his fist to the ground. Spired of black stone rose up and raced toward the girl. Seraphina jumped to the side to avoid the stone pillars. However, the sound of explosions caught her attention. She snapped her head to the side to see John racing toward her, using the black explosions from his hands to propel himself forward.

"Th-Those are Cementoss' and Kacchan's Quirks!" Izuku gaped in awe.

The girl stopped time once more and dropped to her feet. She then circled around and struck John across the face with a right straight. Time resumed and John was thrown off his flight path. He tumbled before rolling back onto his feet.

Another pulse. This time, immense heat began to flow from John's skin. He really didn't like using this Quirk, given how hot the flames were...but Seraphina's actions were clear. She was testing him. She was looking for something in this fight. What, he couldn't understand. That said, if it was a fight she wanted...it was a fight she was going to get!

Seraphina, seeing John having a plan in mind, stopped time again. This time she was going in for a finishing blow - a straight hook straight to the chest. As time resumed, she reared her arm back, ready to knock John out.

Then, everything exploded in pitch black fire.

The flames immediately washed over her, giving her no time to react or pull away. The force of the fiery explosion threw her away until she was stopped by a discarded refrigerator. The metal crumpled beneath her. Groaning, Seraphina noted how her clothes were singed somewhat. The intensity of those flames were unreal. Looking up, she saw John wreathed in dark flames, which seemed to pour out of his body like a hose.

"No way!" the meek boy gushed. "That-that's Endeavor's Quirk! John has his powers too?!"

All Might remained silent as his attention was focused on the boy. His glowing, golden eyes brought about an eerie sight as they contrasted the dark blaze that enveloped him.

The boy slammed his fist into the earth once more whilst pumping the black flames into it. His expression was one of immense concentration as the sand seemed to swirl and mix into a molten material. With an enraged roar, the earth before him turned into blazing, molten wave.

Charred, searing lava went straight at her, consuming everything in her line of sight. Seraphina, unknown to him, smirked. 'That's it, John.' she thought with pride. 'That's the way!' Her own eyes seemed to glow as electricity danced around her. This wasn't part of her Quirk - no, this was simply a show of power flowing through her. Time once again came to a stop. Unlike before, though, her Quirk was now going at full force. Her muscles tightened, holding back the strain. She sucked in her breath, and clenched her fist tightly before thrusting it at the wave of lava.

Time resumed, and the wave of lava parted.

Then a fist covered in stone collided with her face, sending her flying.

She was about to reorient herself but found herself staring into a pair of golden eyes as another stone fist impacted her stomach while they were still airborne. John had used Katsuki's explosion Quirk to catch up and deal another blow.

The girl crashed back into the sand and rolled before stopping at a dishwasher. She pulled herself up, her muscles screaming from the strain she put them on previously to stop that lava wave.

In a second, however, time seemed to go against its will against her. The strain on her muscles receded. The sinews of flesh no longer shook violently as if about to snap. Yet another of Time Stop's abilities - she could reverse the time of damage against her body. Accelerated healing if one wanted to get technical. However, like stopping time, it was not without its problems.

Already, she felt the onset of a headache coming up.

However, it didn't hamper the excitement she felt, nor how proud she was when John landed back on the ground. It seems using so many Quirks was already taking its toll, as he was panting slightly. The flames that were the Pro Hero Endeavor's Quirk dissipated, as he could no longer keep them burning. Out of all the Quirks he could copy, that one taxed him the most. He clenched his jaw, bracing himself for yet another bout. Something told him this encounter would be the last.

Meanwhile, Izuku was floored. "T-that lava he sent at her...!" he said, his breath stolen from him. "He-he mixed Cementoss and Endeavor's Quirks together?! He never told me he could mix Quirks' powers together!"

Such a thing shouldn't even be possible! Yet he saw it right here, with his own eyes! Oh man! He wished he had his notebook right now! He needed to record this!

All Might, however, grew even more disturbed than before. The ability to use multiple Quirks and even combine them. Granted, their method of acquisition differs...its abilities were still eerily similar to the abilities of THAT man...

 _'It couldn't be...could it?'_ he thought, a hand at his chin. It was disturbing to think, but given to what he was seeing... _'Is it possible? Is that boy...his successor?'_

Seraphina bounced high into the air, body spinning like an expert gymnast before she swung her leg, attempting to knock John off balance. However, he ducked underneath it, proceeding to spin around and deliver a straight-arrow kick to her solar plexus. She blocked it in time, crossing her arms and throwing her back. Once she landed, she found tendrils of black wood launched right at her. Huffing, she dodged each of them with ease before kicking them away. John then rushed in, his hand reared back as smoke danced from his palm. Seeing this, Seraphina narrowed her eyes and braced herself.

Just then, when he was in range, time shut down. Sparks danced along her leg. "I guess this is your limit then." she said, closing her eyes. She had hoped he would rise above this petty weakness of his...but it appeared she was wrong. A shame, too. For a while, there, she saw what she was looking for in that shy boy who had broken the shackles on her cage. "In that case, I'll end this right here. Sorry, John."

"...I'm the one who should be saying sorry, Seraphina."

Her eyes snapped open, mouth dropping open when she found John moving forward, his hand closing into a fist. _'No way! How is he moving?! My Quirk should be-!'_ Then she remembered his ability. The terrifying power that was his Quirk, Wild Card. _'It couldn't have been...he copied my Quirk!'_

A pulse ran through John. He was on his last legs. This was the final strike. He gritted his teeth, feeling his mind already lagging. He had to end this in one last hit! And he knew just the Quirk to do so! Power ran through his arm. Power that went wild. Power that surged through his entire being.

He wasn't sure what possessed him, but a roar ripped from his throat. He could not help but scream at the top of his lungs.

 _"SMAAAAAAAASH!"_

He threw a punch. Just then, time resumed. When it did, the effects were instantaneous. Sand and trash were sent flying high into the air. A sonic boom cracked through the air, loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear. The crashing waves broke apart into a single space, as if forced to break through some powerful strike. A powerful gust of wind blew through the area, forcing Toshinori and Izuku to bring up their arms, shielding their faces from the powerful gust. When it died down, they lowered their arms...and stared at the sight in shock.

Behind Seraphina, the sand had been completely blown away in a single straight path. The trash in that path was nowhere to be found. Scraps of metal were found lying in the sand - some of which were the leftover parts of the machines that were destroyed in that last attack. Soon, their attention drifted to John and Seraphina, the former of whom stared at the woman before him in utter confusion and awe.

"...why didn't you dodge?"

In spite of the fist that was only centimeters away from her face, Seraphina smiled. "Because I knew you wouldn't hit me."

For several seconds, John couldn't speak. She...knew he wouldn't hit her? She really had that much faith in him? The raven-haired boy didn't know what to say. However...it was a different story when the adrenaline finally died down and the sense of pain returned.

" _YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW_!" John cried in pain, clutching his now discolored arm, which felt like it was broken in several places. He clutched it with his free hand as it now hung limply on his side.

Just what was this backlash?!

Upon seeing this, Izuku's face laced with panic. "AAAAH! JOHN, ARE YOU OKAY?!" Without another word, he rushed to his friend's side as he cradled his now battered and destroyed arm, which was no doubt laced with shattered bones and torn muscles.

Toshinori knew what Quirk the boy had used in that brief instance in when he used Serapina's Quirk. He had experienced it first hand when he once tried to use One For All for the first time without realizing the consequences.

 _'To think, that a kid like that can use any Quirk he sees...'_ he thought gravely. ' _He can even mix them together...it is truly similar to that man's Quirk.'_

He knew it was too quick to judge the boy, though. He was friends with Seraphina, after all. For that, he could give the benefit of a doubt.

Seraphina shook her head, looking quite amused. "That's what you get for using One For All." she said with an admonishing tone. "Then again, color me impressed. I half-expected you to break your entire body with that punch."

"NOW YOU TELL ME?!" John cried. The pain in his arm was worse than anything he's ever felt before in his entire. "SON OF A BITCH THIS HURTS!"

"Oh, man up. Like what they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Seraphina patted him on the shoulder. "Again, I'm impressed. I can't believe you copied One For All after seeing in action once. Not bad, John."

"But I never experienced a backlash this intense! How powerful is it?!"

A unique aspect of Wild Card was that whenever he uses other Quirks he also experiences their drawbacks, but at a weaker extent…at least, until now. Then again, he had never heard of a Quirk quite like One For All. That said, though, he was now on his knees, crying like a baby. The pain in his arm was utterly insane. At this point, he thought he was going to need a hospital to fix it up.

"Why'd you think Uncle Yagi wanted to train Mido-kun into handling it? Simply carrying One For All would've made a normal person burst like a water balloon."

Izuku, naturally, paled. After seeing John use it, and suffer to this effect...he was most definitely going to follow All Might's training regiment. Toshinori, meanwhile, chuckled a bit as he pulled out a cellphone. "Hold on a second. I'll call up Recovery Girl."

* * *

It was already well 7 in the morning after John's arm was healed and bandaged up. He had to admit, Recovery Girl's Quirk in rapid healing was quite impressive. Even still, he still felt his arm burning from the backlash of using One For All. "To think All Might's Quirk is that powerful." he muttered, sitting on the steps while watching Izuku undergo Toshinori's training...which started with the former trying to pull a refrigerator while the Number One Hero sat atop it in his muscular form. "And Izuku's going to inherit it...man. With how dedicated he is, there's no doubt how terrifying he'll be."

"Got that right." Seraphina said, sitting next to him. In hand was a can of soda she got from a nearby vending machine. "To be honest, when Uncle Yagi found a successor, I never expected it to be Mido-kun." As she said this, a smile formed across her face. "Then again...I just can't see anyone BUT our Mido-kun as All Might's successor."

John chuckled. "More like irony, if you ask me." Given how much Izuku idolized the Symbol of Peace, it was surprising and yet something that was no doubt a dream come true for Izuku, for he was now the inheritor of the power of his hero. The same man who told him he could be a hero. The words he's wanted to hear for so long. That said, however...there was a matter that needed to be addressed. He turned Seraphina, frowning. "Why did you have faith that I wouldn't have hit you?" he asked her. "You could have dodged it easily."

"Because it was you throwing that punch." Seraphina told him, surprising him. "Let me ask you...if I was fighting the King of Bostin, would that punch have hit me?"

John's eyes widened, finally realizing what she was getting it. The Tyrant wouldn't have hesitated and would've allowed that punch to connect, no doubt to grievously injure, if not kill, her.

But John was not like that. There was no way he would've hit his friend with that kind of power.

Seeing his expression, a smug smile spread across her face. "That's why I had faith." she said. "Because it was John Doe throwing that punch with One For All. Not the Tyrant. I put my trust in the friend, not someone who used his Quirk for selfish reasons."

"B-but that's..."

"You're scared." she pointed out to him. "You're scared that, if you use your Quirk, you'll find yourself back to how you used to be in Bostin. You're scared you'll lose me and Mido-kun." She stood up, and then turned to him, smiling. "But that isn't going to happen. Do you know why?"

John looked up at her. At that moment, a gust of wind blew by, causing her hair to flutter. The smile that was on her face, coupled with her swaying hair, which seemed to make her blue eyes sparkle, made his heart beat rapidly. His cheeks were tinged slightly pink.

"Because at Yuuei...me and Mido-kun will be there to remind you that, somewhere under that tough exterior of yours...is someone who wants to help people. Not because he's a hero, but because he cares about them."

"R-Really...?" John asked with a confused expression.

"Yep. I know it." She smiled. "...Which is why for the next ten months, we're going to train you to become fully accustomed with your Quirk again, and help Mido-kun in combat training."

For a while, he didn't say anything. He knew it was pointless to try and argue. He recognized the look in her eyes. The fire that burned. It reminded him of the fire that burned in her eyes around the time they first met; when they had to write that essay about Shakespeare. It's been so long since he's seen that fire raging, and he knew that he wouldn't win.

In the end, all he could do was sigh. "...do I at least get compensation for this?"

All he got was a grin, and he left it at that.

* * *

For the next several months, John and Seraphina had helped Izuku out with his training. When he was able to, after trying to push heaps of garbage into the truck, he would spar with them. Although in his opinion, it was more like he was a helpless bystander watching two titan's go at it. Seraphina was not kidding when she said she was going to help John get used to the feeling of his Quirk. Between this and removing garbage from the beach, Izuku could safely say that he was in hell.

Each trash he was supposed to remove was to test a certain portion of his muscle. This would help strengthen his muscles to help grow accustom to differences in the weight and size of whatever piece of trash he was to remove. Two months in, though, and he realized that it wouldn't be enough. He needed enough time to familiarize himself with the power of One For All when he inherited it, and ideally, he wanted it to be a month, or at the very least, a week before the Entrance Exam. To that end, unknown to All Might, he altered his training schedule to help achieve this goal.

Between picking up trash and sparring with the two juggernauts at his school, Izuku also had to deal with school. On that note, he found that John had managed to avoid the ticking time bomb that was Katsuki, mostly thanks to Seraphina. Every time he would try and jump him, she would appear and clock him out in a single strike. She found him annoying and didn't want him to interfere with the training.

Before long, seven months came and went. The leaves were already tinted orange and red. Toshinori was driving along on a scooter wearing a heavy coat, given the chilly breeze that was dancing around. Izuku was wearing a bright green track suit while carrying a box of metal over his shoulders. As he ran behind All Might, he felt his body starting to sway. His eyes were tired, and his body was sagging.

 _'So...sleepy...'_

In the middle of his daze, he accidentally tripped over his own feet, sending him face-first into the ground. The loud banging of the metal box caught Toshinori's attention as he stopped, looking over his shoulder and sighing. "Hey now, kid! Look alive! You've got three months left before the Entrance Exam!" he reminded as Izuku struggled to his feet. "What, you just gonna lie down and quit? Flush all that hard work down the drain and take it easy?"

Hopping off his scooter, he walked over and helped Izuku up. As he pulled the boy up, he immediately noticed how worn-out his body was.

"...you're overworked." he said, making his displeasure known. "The Aim-to-Succeed American Dream Plan was made with your body in mind, Young Midoriya. It was designed to ensure your progress was swift, but manageable. The shaking in your body tells me...you haven't been sticking to the plan." His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. Izuku, meanwhile, lowered his head as he struggled to find a good rhythm to his breathing. His chest was so tight, he felt like he was suffocating. "If you overwork your body, it'll have the opposite effect!"

After a minute, Izuku managed to catch his breath. "I...I know that." he said, straightening himself out. "But I...I have to work harder...to surpass the other applicants!" All Might's eyes widened, finding that, beneath the fringe of hair, his eyes were blazing like fire with resolve. "I don't want to just get in to Yuuei...I want to excel! I want to be like you! I want to be the greatest hero in the world!"

He lifted his head up, and in those eyes was a lit bonfire.

"So I'm going to keep training until my body breaks down! I'll keep doing it...until I reach the finish line!"

Toshinori stared at Izuku, taken completely in by his resolve before a wide grin spread across his face, his body bulking up into the immense form that was the Symbol of Peace. "HAHAHAHA! You damn fanboy!" he said, clamping his hands down on Izuku's shoulders. "There's that fire! That will to succeed! However, rushing in will only hamper your progress, young man! Fear not! This old man will adjust the plan!" He pounded a fist against his hearty chest, smiling as widely as humanly possible. "Young Midoriya, my boy, by the time we're done, I'll make a damn fine hero out of you yet!"

"B-but you're not an old man, All Might." Izuku said weakly before grinning.

"Thank you, my boy...but for now, I would like you to rest." He picked up the metal box and hefted it onto his shoulder. "I will take care of this and send you the revised plan later. For now, I want you to go home and rest and recover. We will continue your training tomorrow."

"Y-yes sir..." Izuku nodded as he slowly made his way back home. All Might watched as the boy left. He sighed and shook his head. The boy truly was determined to live up to his expectations. He just wished he wouldn't be so reckless in doing so. Then again...he's not one to talk. He was similar to when he was Izuku's age with his own Master.

On that note, he felt a shiver run down his back – images of the demented little demon that was known as Gran Torino beating him to within an inch of his life.

* * *

Two months and two weeks had gone by. A week from now, the Yuuei Entrance Exam would be taking place. Toshinori yawned as he stepped out of his truck, a hand over his mouth. "Another day to see Young Midoriya's training in progress." he mused. From the passenger side and the bed of the trunk, John and Seraphina hopped out, the former looking rather tired. Since their first meeting, Toshinori had held a better view on the young man once Seraphina told him his story. As a result, the man that was All Might felt guilty for suspecting that such a troubled yet stalwart soul such as that could be affiliated with that man of all people. It was unthinkable that someone who dared not use their Quirk for a year after seeing the consequences of their actions would be that man's successor. Needless to say, Toshinori felt that he owed the boy an apology one of these days. "How are you two kids?"

"Fine."

"Tired..."

He chuckled at their respective answers. By now, he should have expected it. Regardless, it was time to supervise his apprentice's training. However, as he stepped into view of the beach, his eyes widened. "Uncle Yagi?" Seraphina called, walking up behind him. "Is something the matter?" She soon found what caused him to be so shell-shocked, and couldn't help but stare in awe. John held a similar expression, though a large grin soon spread across his face not long after.

The beach...was spotless. There was not a single speck of trash or garbage of discarded appliances anywhere to be found. Some of the early morning risers could only stare in surprise, seeing the beach's former glory once again after so long.

However, no sight could be as shocking or as awe-inspiring as the sight of Izuku Midoriya, age 15, standing atop the mountain of trash, screaming his lungs out in victory and pride.

"H-hey..." Toshinori whispered. "Hey hey hey! Holy hell kid! You cleaned up OUTSIDE the area I told you to! There's not so much as a piece of garbage left!" His slim form shook, his hair covering his eyes. "A-and you did it...with only a week left to go! You exceeded my expectations...!"

Seraphina smiled widely, clapping her hands while John gave Izuku a thumbs up. He was too absorbed to notice them, but they didn't care. They were proud of his accomplishments. And his hard work showed. His small, thin frame was now wry and muscular. A small six-pack adorned his abdomen, and his biceps were slightly thicker. Sweat poured down his entire being, fists clenched and body shaking, though whether it was exhaustion or joy was up for debate.

"O-oh... _oh_...!" Without warning, Toshinori's body expanded into his All Might form, his grin bigger than ever before. " **OH MY** ** _GOODNESS_**!" Izuku, now at the end of his long-winded screams, found himself swaying before falling, only to be caught by All Might. The boy, tiredly, looked up to find his idol staring down at him, beaming with pride. "My boy...you truly are incredible!"

A shaky smile touched Izuku's tired face. "I...I did it..." he said. "I cleaned up...everything. I...finished up. D-do you think I'm...ready now?"

"Ready?!" All Might laughed. "Kid, you're more than ready! Look at you!" He gently set Izuku down back on his feet. He was a bit unsteady, though Seraphina quickly caught him. Toshinori took out his cell phone, showing it to Izuku. It was when he first started the training ten months ago. Not an ounce of muscle anywhere to be found on his body. A stark contrast from the ripped fifteen-year-old in front of them. "This is you, Young Midoriya, ten months ago when you could barely push a piece of trash! You aren't fully ready for the full power of One For All...but _THIS_?!"

He gestured to the giant pile of garbage behind him.

 ** _"THIS IS PROOF THAT YOU'VE TAKEN YOUR FIRST STEPS, YOUNG MIDORIYA!"_**

"Yes!" Izuku cheered in excitement. All of his hard work finally paid off! His first steps to becoming All Might's successor have been completed. And a week before the Yuuei entrance exams too.

"I'm really proud of you buddy!" John clasped a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You worked hard, and you got it done! Nice, Izuku!"

Seraphina smirked, folding her arms. "What else was there? He had us with him."

Naturally, the meek boy could only grin. He looked at his hand, which, like the rest of his body, was shaking. "I feel...like I'm cheating. I have you two...and All Might...putting so much time and effort into me." Tears fell from his face. The joy of this moment was too much. It felt just as good as the day when All Might told him that he could become a hero. "H-how did I end up...so lucky?"

Toshinori laughed. 'He's worried about that? After all these months?' he questioned. The boy was certainly impressive. He gave the boy a well-deserved pat on the back. "It was your hard work that did all of this! Not mine!" he told him. "Me and your friends merely guided you on the correct path!" Without further ado, he plucked a strand from one of his "horns" of hair, holding it out for the boy. "And now for your reward, Izuku Midoriya! Someone once told me this: 'There's a difference between being lucky and one being determined! One is an accident, and the other is a reward!' NEVER get the two confused!"

He placed the strand of hair in the boy's hand, watching as his face became filled with awe.

"Take that to heart, and with this gift, go beyond your limits! Now, my boy...eat this!"

...

...

...

"...huh?"

Aaaaand just like that, the moment's gone.

"It doesn't really matter how it's done. As long as you take in something of my DNA." He said as Izuku could only look on in shock.

"Y-Yeah but...I didn't think it would go like this. It's different from what I imagined!"

"Enough of that. Bottom's up, my boy!"

Despite Izuku's reservations, he ate the hair. It was as pleasant as one might imagine. The way it dragged down his throat was just...disgusting. John and Sera on the other hand, were torn between feeling sorry for their friend who had to go through a disturbing experience, or burst out laughing from how awkward the atmosphere became.

The green haired teen managed to prevent the gag reflex from taking effect as the hair finally went down. After a few moments, he waited. However, there was no change.

"H-huh? I...I don't feel any different..."

"Of course not! How do you think the stomach works? You need time to digest it, my boy! Fortunately, we have time before the Yuuei Entrance Exams start. Just enough time for you to get a bit used to One For All!" All Might grinned.

"Now then, my boy...ready for your daily spar?"

Izuku nodded, clenching his fist. John and Sera smiled brightly. Now that he had reached his goal...it was time for him to really take his training up a notch.

"Alright then! Like I said before, go beyond your limits! PLUS ULTRA!"

* * *

February 29. The day of the Entrance Exam.

John had to admit, the wait had been longer than he thought.

Even though it was only seven days, it felt like a month. It was probably due to the fact they spent so much time sparring against each other and with Izuku so they would be prepared for the Practical.

In these seven days, Izuku had trained in utilizing One For All to get a feel for the unique Quirk.

The first attempt however...made John feel phantom pains from his own experience of copying it ten months ago. Izuku's arm became the same condition his was in previously. On the plus side, he didn't explode. Which meant his body was doing well in holding One For All.

From that point on, after a quick trip to Recovery Girl, Izuku had been training on limiting his power output and tried to see how much he could control.

For his and Seraphina's suggestion, he tried to find a way to discharge One For All throughout his body. Originally, Izuku pictured using One For All and limiting its power as an Egg boiling in the Microwave. Seraphina and John suggested a different and more simple method: a facet. The power of One For All was the water that poured out from the mouth, and the amount of power was determined by the wheels. These two suggestions proved to be somewhat effective for Izuku: he was able to endure hits from them much easier, could run faster and hit harder. He could even jump higher!

Unfortunately, as All Might informed him...all of that was a mere 1% of the power of One For All.

"This sucks..."

"Oh, come on." John rolled his eyes, patting his friend on the back as they made their way towards the Exam room. "It ain't that bad. It's better than going above the limit and breaking every bone in your body."

"I-I know, but...I was hoping I could handle, I dunno...maybe 4 or 5%?"

Seraphina giggled. "Chin up, Mido-kun." she told him, wagging a finger. "After all, you only just got Uncle Yagi's power. In the meantime, let's focus on the ex-"

"JOOOOOOOOHN! SEEEEERAAAAAPHIIIIIINAAAAA!"

At this, the two sighed, face-palming. In unison, they whirled around and delivered a powerful kick, straight to Katsuki's face just as he launched at them, sending him flying high into the air before landing face-first into the ground. Upon impact, a small indent was made, spiderweb-like cracks forming as a result.

Izuku promptly sweatdropped. "...I can't believe Kacchan's still at it."

"Argh...fucking hell..." Katsuki groaned as he rose to his feet, rubbing his face before glaring at the two people he wanted to defeat. "Come on! Fight me!"

In sync, the two stated in a deadpan: "Nope."

"Why not?!"

"Uh, because we have to take the Entrance Exams? And fighting like this could disqualify us from participating?" John asked.

Seraphina nodded. "That, and we don't want to cause a scene...unlike what you're doing right now, Baka-go."

As if to prove her point, the other examinees were staring at them with confusion and mild intrigue on their faces.

Katsuki scowled. As much as he wanted to settle things, the attention was not something he would appreciate. He hated a bunch of onlookers - especially since they would be his competition. He then found Deku, and a glare burned into his eyes. "Deku...!"

"Y-Yes?!" Izuku stood ramrod straight.

"Stay outta my way! Or I'll kill you!" He then brushed past them and went ahead to the facility.

This, of course, caused the three to blink, their eyes following him as they left. "...did Baka-go just threaten Mido-kun," Seraphina said slowly in disbelief. "Without hurting him or anything?"

"...it's the sign of the apocalypse..." John answered.

Izuku, for his part, was equally as surprised. Now that he thought about it...ever since that Sludge Villain incident, he had been going easier on him. He simply got scared on instinct. It was different now, though. He wasn't the weakling that was Deku. Now...he was stronger! He would be able to stand on par with Katsuki! With that in mind, a bright grin formed on his face.

 _'This is it!'_ he thought excitedly. _'This is where I become a hero!'_

He took three steps forward...and promptly tripped on his own feet.

 _'...ooor this is where I die.'_

To his surprise, however, his face never touched the group. It took him a moment to realize that his feet weren't even touching the cobblestone path leading to the building at all!

"You okay?" Izuku turned his head, and his heart skipped a beat. Right next to him was a girl with a round, heart-shaped face and a soft blush on her cheeks, her hair coming down to the chin with a bob-cut style. She wore a heavy blue sweater with a pink scarf around her neck. Compared to the cool and cold beauty that was the Queen of Orudera...this girl was just...cute. "Sorry about that. I used my Quirk. Hope you don't mind!" With a wave of her hand, she gently set him down on his feet. "This is pretty nerve-wracking, don't you think?"

"H-huh?" Izuku spluttered. "A-ah, um, I..."

The girl giggled. "I'll see you inside!" she said, rushing ahead while waving at him. "Let's do our best, 'kay?!"

John and Seraphina watched her leave, impressed by the kindness she showed Izuku. It was very kind of her, especially since she didn't know Izuku. Then again, there were all sorts of people in the world. "She seemed nice." John remarked as he walked over to Izuku. "What do you think? ...Izuku?" When he received no response, he looked over and found his meek friend a spluttering mess. "Are...you okay?"

"I-I...just talked...to a girl..." he whispered, a cross between awestruck and anxious. "T-that wasn't...senpai...!"

Seraphina sweatdropped. "I...hardly think that being left in a spluttering mess counts as talking to her."

* * *

It didn't take them long to find the orientation room, which was already packed. It was troublesome, finding a good seat, but they eventually found one in the middle row. Much to John and Seraphina's disappointment, however, their seats were directly next to Katsuki, who seemed annoyed by Izuku sitting next to him. Thankfully, he didn't say or gripe about anything as they instead waited for their instructor.

"Hey, y'all! Thanks for tuning to your school DJ! Welcome to the Hero Course Entrance Exam!" the examiner said enthusiastically. Much to Izuku's joy, it was none other than the Pro Hero Present Mic. The man had a small mustache on his upper lip, separated into two tiny curved tips on either side while his blonde hair was slicked back, wearing a jet black suit with red elbow pads and some kind of contraption around his neck. On the bridge of his nose were stylish orange sunglasses, complete with headphones. "Can I get an 'Aww Yeah~?!"

He was met with silence.

"Huh. Tough crowd!" Present Mic chuckled. "Fine by me. Let's talk about how this exam's gonna go! You ready?!"

Once again, silence...unless, of course, you were Izuku Midoriya.

"Oh...my... _God_!" he gushed, stars dancing in his eyes. "I-it's Present Mic! I tune in to his Radio Show everyday of the week!"

Katsuki growled. "Oi. Shut it!"

"Keep a lid on the fanboying, Izuku." John told him, chuckling as he scratched his cheek. "You're enthusiasm might end up getting on some of the other applicants' nerves."

Present Mic smirked, seeing the enthusiasm one of the applicants was giving. He had to admit, it was nice having at least one fan among these serious-faced kids. ' _So, that's All Might's kid, yeah?'_ he chuckled. _'Looking forward to this!'_ Unknown to many, Present Mic and the other teachers at Yuuei were well aware that Toshinori Yagi was far from the hero he once was. Recently, however, he revealed that he had found a successor. The kid looked kind a meek-looking...but appearances could be deceiving.

"At any rate, this combat exam is gonna have you rockstars duking it out in the hip urban simulation cities!" Present Mic explained to them as the screen behind him lit up. It showed several different angles of what appeared to be vacant cityscapes - each marked with a letter. "On your cards are your designated simulation areas! These are where your combat exams will be taking place! Ya dig?"

The teens examined the cards in their hands. Incidentally, it seems that Izuku's designated area was different from theirs. It was a shame they wouldn't be in the same area for the exam. But it would also give a chance for Izuku to have some independent combat experience.

"I guess we're not in the same block." Izuku muttered in slight disappointment before glancing at Katsuki's.

The ashen blonde noticed this, and growled. "Don't peek, Deku!" he snapped, causing the boy to recoil. He didn't make any further threats, however, as he cursed. "Shit...and I was looking forward to settling things with John and Seraphina too!"

"Moving on!" Present Mic continued. "There are three types of 'Faux Villains' you'll be facing! Each is worth a set number of points, based on their difficulty! The more villains you defeat, the better your score! That said, you're naturally forbidden from attacking other applicants as well! You're training to become heroes, after all!"

Suddenly, one of the applicants stood up, holding his hand in the air. "Beg your pardon, sir!" the applicant called. He looked to be around the same age as the others, wearing a brown blazer with a dark blue tie and dress shirt. His dark hair was neatly styled, bangs swept off to the side while a pair of glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. "I have a question!"

"Hit me, my peep!"

"According to this paper, there are four types of enemies listed, not three!" the applicant pointed out, pointing to the fourth silhouette printed on the paper. "With all due respect, if this is an error on official Yuuei materials, it is shameful! We come from some of the best academies across Japan, and we expect nothing less BUT perfection from a school with as grand a reputation as Yuuei's Hero Course!"

The others were, naturally, taken aback by this particular applicant's serious nature. Seraphina's eyes narrowed on him, scrutinizing over his features. _'That kid...he looks familiar. But we haven't met before. Maybe someone in his family?'_

"Additionally..." Suddenly, the applicant whirled and pointed a finger at Izuku. "You there! The one with the unkempt hair!"

"E-eh?! Me?!"

"You've been muttering this entire time! If you think this is some kind of joyride, then please leave! You're distracting the rest of us!"

Izuku sunk back in his seat, a hand over his mouth as he apologized, causing the others around him to laugh. Seraphina frowned heavily at this as she stood. "Hey, you." she called. "What's your name?"

The applicant frowned, adjusting his spectacles. "...Iida, Tenya. Of Soumei Private Academy."

This, naturally, earned a few collective gasps. Soumei Private Academy was arguably one of the most elite prep schools in Japan. The best of the best, or so they say. However, it was also because the name of Iida belonged to one hero in particular.

Someone Seraphina recognized.

"That's why you looked familiar." she scoffed. "You're Ingenium's kid brother, aren't you?" This, of course, earned a stunned look from the boy, as he hadn't expected her to know that. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't hound my friend like that. He's earned his place here as much as everyone here has. Also, before you go jumping to conclusions, why don't you let our examiner finish his explanation?"

The entire room grew tense, as sparks began to fly between Tenya Iida and Seraphina. Katsuki looked ready to join in any second as his fingers twitched, though it was obvious from Izuku and John's place that he was obviously going to gun for Seraphina the moment a fight started. Present Mic noticed the tension and clapped his hands. "Hey hey now! No need to get so hostile! Save that energy for your combat exams!" he shouted into his microphone, settling the group down before he grinned. "Can't say I don't like that fighting spirit, though! Calm down, Examinees 7111 and 2232!"

Much to a certain volatile blonde's disappointment, the two sat down, though there was clearly some tension between them.

"Anyway, to answer Examinee 7111's question, that fourth villain you see on the paper will make its debut near the endgame of the exam! It's extremely powerful...but its worth zero points! Think of it like an obstacle! After all, there are some foes you can't beat. Not to say that you can't beat it, but there's really no point if it ain't worth any points, am I right?"

"I see. Thank you for your response. I apologize for interrupting." Tenya bowed apologetically.

"Don't worry, Examinee 7111. You're cool! At any rate, before I sign off, let me give you a taste of the Yuuei motto! As the French General Napolean once said: a true hero is made by overcoming life's hardships! Go beyond, sound bites! _**PLUS ULTRA**_!"

A smirk then formed on the Pro Hero's face. "Good luck, peeps! Hope you practiced more than just book smarts, cause you're gonna need it~!"

* * *

After leaving the auditorium, the three went their separate ways to find their Battle Centers. Izuku was surprised to find a lot more people than he expected, yet there was a profound sense of relief when he saw that Katsuki was nowhere to be found. While Izuku wanted to think positive...he wasn't curious to find out what would happen if they met out here.

 _'Well, this is it.'_ Izuku thought, clenching his fists to where the nails threatened to draw blood. He was shaking quite a bit out of anxiety. 'This is where I put ten months of training. I can only use 1% of One For All, but that should be enough.' He stared at his arm, which had once been black and blue all over. _'Remember...only a trickle of water. Just tiny drops, one after another.'_

He shouldn't let the faucet run completely, otherwise he'll blow his arm up again. Just a trickle of water. He's got this. Nodded in resolution, Izuku made his way out to the starting line of the exam.

As he did, caught sight of a familiar face. His body felt a shiver run up when he did, cheeks tinged pink. "I-it's her!" he whispered. "The girl from before!" Sure enough, the brunette was among those in the starting line. An intense look was found, just like the other applicants. "Wow, she looks so tense. Then again, the test is going to start soon. I guess she's really nervous too." Izuku bit his lip, a hand at his chin. "Should I...go talk to her?"

"Planning on sabotaging that girl's run?"

"AAH!" Izuku yelped, jumping a good few feet in the air before he whirled around, finding the Soumei Applicant behind him with a stern expression. "O-oh...Y-you're, um, I-Iida-san, right?"

He gave no response at first. Instead, his eyes trailed to where Izuku was looking earlier. Once he did, his eyes narrowed. "Were you intending on distracting that girl's focus?" he inquired sternly, causing the meek boy to stutter. "I saw you looking at her. What, exactly, are you plotting?"

"N-nothing, I swear! S-she just helped me out this morning, a-and she looked really tense, s-so I thought I would-"

"STAAAAAAAAAART!"

The loud shout of Present Mic caught everyone off guard. Immediately, they looked up to find the man standing atop a building, hands at his hips with a grin.

"What're you all waiting for?!" he asked them in amusement. "A timer?! Heroes can't wait and twiddle their thumbs! GET MOVING SOUND BITES! THE TEST'S ALREADY STARTED!"

And just like that, the students poured out into the Battle Center in a hurried flood.

It wouldn't be long before the sparks would fly, either...

-Episode 1: END-

 _NEXT TIME!_

 _Applicant: N-no way...what are those guys?! Are they monsters?!_

 _John: Sera. Think we can cut down this Zero Pointer fast enough to get to the rest of the Faux Villains?_

 _Iida: Why on earth did you save me? We're in the middle of a test!_

 _Girl: I-I can't get up!_

 _All Might: Clench your buttocks, and yell at the top of your heart-!_

 _Izuku: SMAAAASH!_

Episode 2: One For All

 _John and Seraphina: Go beyond your limits!_ ** _PLUS ULTRA!_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride. The creator of many fantastic masterpieces such as: Code Geass: Lelouch of the R-eset, Persona 4: The Unseen Truth, DxD: Final, DxD: Nocturne, RWBY: Colorless Memories, RWBY: Black Rebellion, RWBY: Final Judgment, Bloom, Wilt, and Scatter, Drifting towards Rebellion, The Reversed Fool of Justice, Persona 5: Hoshi to Bokura to, Outsiders, Die Set Down, Fate: Breaker, Fate: stay night: Dragon of Dragons, Digimon D-Code: Error of Hades, Metastability, The Taken King, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing.**

 **I highly recommend you check them all out.**

 **I really appreciate your help, man. Couldn't have done this without ya!**

 **PLEASE READ: This story is a crossover between My Hero Academia, and the Webtoon, unOrdinary by Uru-chan. We highly recommend to check it out in order to better understand this story, for there will be spoilers. Plus, it is an amazing piece of work by Uru-chan, who owns unOrdinary. This crossover will feature characters from unOrdinary.**

 **Also, the cover image was made by and belongs to Uru-chan.**

* * *

 _When a child, cloaked in light, was born, reports from all across the world came into the open. Reports that there were people who possessed supernatural, bizarre yet incredible powers._

 _This was the emergence of what would soon become the norm of society: the power known as Quirks._

 _Today, over 80% of the world has some kind of Quirk. The scenes that one would see in comic books - villains possessing powers and rampaging across the street - soon became apart of the normalcy people experienced in our daily lives._

 _The occupation that used to exist only in our minds and in books also became a reality: Heroes._

 _There are many heroes who exist, and each possesses incredible power. Standing at the very top is the Number 1 Hero: the Symbol of Peace, All Might. My idol and hero._

 _It was because of him, along with my friends John and Sera, that I was here taking part in Yuuei's Entrance Exam._

 _While I didn't know it at first, this was going to be the star of a journey I never would have dreamed of. Never in a thousand years._

 _My name is Izuku Midoriya, and this...this is the story of how I became the greatest hero in the world!_

* * *

 **A Boku no Hero Academia x UnOrdinary Crossover:**

 **"My Hero Academia: The UnOrdinary Ones"**

 _ **Chapter 2: One For All**_

* * *

A cacophony of explosions, warping metal and cracking concrete resounded as the participants of the Yuuei entrance exam entered the fray and began to destroy testing robots left and right.

In the middle of it all was Izuku, running through the city in order to find more robots to rack up more points.

His green track suit was slightly burnt and torn up, especially around the arms. By now, the sleeves reaching up to his biceps were torn to shreds. His hands were rough, covered in soot and oil and slightly red with callouses. His shoes weren't much better. They were already on the verge of falling apart. A few bruises could be found on his face, but they didn't hurt as much as the looked they did. As he rounded a corner, he caught sight of a teen with red hair fighting against a bunch of three point villains.

"Che!" the spiky-haired redhead cursed as he jumped back, avoiding being crushed by one of its arms. "Tough bastards!"

Izuku grit his teeth. Once more, a familiar burning sensation coursed through his body as he found his feet pounding against the ground, hands coiled into fists. Without hesitation, he leaped up, creating a small indent in the ground resembling his shoeprints and cocked his fist back. Just as a three pointer Faux Villain came up from behind, intending to kill the teen in its sights, the green haired boy struck.

"SMASH!"

He swung. Compared to before, there was no incredible pain. No intense screaming that ripped from his throat. No broken bones. Instead, his muscles bulged and strained to contain the power that built up. His fist struck the Faux Villain's head, and blew it clean off, sending it crashing to the ground. The red-haired teen whirled around in shock, not expecting a metal head to bounce by his feet. As Izuku hit the ground, he turned to the teen in question. "You okay?!"

"H-huh?" Stunned, the red-haired teen nodded before grinning. "Yeah. Thanks for the back-up." He turned his attention back to the three point Faux Villains. "These guys are stronger than they look."

"Can you still fight?"

"Hell yeah I can." the boy smirked. "You take the bastards on the left! The guys on the right are mine!"

Izuku nodded. "Okay!"

The two then charged forward, intending on passing this exam with flying colors. His heart hammered in his chest, beating proudly as he felt the incredible feeling swelling in his chest. He remembered what Iida had told him before. The feeling and the words echoed in him still. He didn't even notice the goofy smile on his face.

 _'I wonder if this is how Heroes feel!'_

* * *

(Flashback: Minutes Earlier)

When the gates opened, Izuku ran like a bat out of hell, trying to catch up with the rest of the applicants. Not even thirty seconds in, and he already heard the sounds of battle happening up ahead.

He was seriously falling behind! He had to hurry up before all the robots were destroyed! He tensed his body as he let One for All flood throughout his veins. Using the 1% of the power stockpiled over 8 generations, he pushed off in a burst of speed. Granted he wasn't as fast as those who had speed-type quirks like Iida, but it was enough to catch up with the rest of the pack.

It wasn't long until he found a one-pointer, which conveniently came into view as it emerged from an alleyway.

' _Remember, young man!'_ All Might's voice echoed in his mind. _'Picture the power flowing in your mind, clench your asshole, and yell at the very top of your heart!'_

Still keeping the image of water dripping in mind, Izuku felt One For All flowing. Compared to when he first used it, which ended in his arm being messed up horribly, it was hardly as incredible, yet his skin tingled and his body heated up. The Faux Villain found him and its eye lit up, charging at him and raising a steel arm, intent on ending him there. Izuku dodged the attack, bouncing to the side.

Any other time, he would have been afraid. Here, though, they couldn't compare to Sera or John. Their grinning faces came to mind, Quirks flaring and power exploding from them, were held deeply rooted into his mind. Clenching his teeth, his body braced itself for the burst that would come.

He followed All Might's instructions. He clenched his butt as tightly as possible, and screamed at the very top of his lungs-

"SMASH!"

His fist flew forward and impacted the robot's metallic head. The force behind the blow was enough to dislodge it from its main body and send it flying. The green haired teen landed on his feet in a slight stumble before he regained his footing.

He paused for a moment, processing what he had just done. He had used One for All...and his arm was intact! He did it!

"I-I did it...!" A goofy smile spread across his face as he clenched the hand that destroyed the Faux Villain. "I did it! I didn't bust up my arm, All Might!"

Unfortunately, he hadn't noticed a Faux Villain crawling up behind him. As its shadow creeped up behind him, he soon realized a menacing presence behind him and looked over his shoulder, finding a much bigger killing machine right behind, leering down at him with a metal claw raised, intent on crushing him right there. Izuku's eyes widened, and whirled around, clenching his fists. Dammit, he should have been more alert! He was so wrapped up in his first successful punch of One For All that he didn't notice it come up from behind!

Just as he was about to send it flying, just like the other one, a beam of light pierced straight through its chest. A second later, it exploded. Izuku was forced to shield his arm from the blast, smoke blowing up against him. It stung at his eyes and burned his throat. He coughed haphazardly, waving the smoke away while wiping away the tears from his face. "Thank you for the help." He turned and found a rather handsome young boy not too far away from him with stylized blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes, a charming smile on his face. The boy thought he saw honest-to-god sparkles around him. "I wouldn't have gotten a good shot in otherwise. We make a good team, _monsieur_! A shame we won't meet again!"

"E-eh?" Before Izuku could speak up, the blonde foreigner was already off, no doubt seeking out the other Faux Villains. "W-was that French?" He soon shook his head, slapping his face. "No, don't think about that! I need to find some more. Going by how heavily armored they are, their heads must be the main weakpoint. If I just hit them there, I should be able to take 'em down, even with 1%!"

With a plan set in his mind, Izuku rushed off further into the battlefield. He was running out of time and he needed more points.

As he ran, he wondered how John and Seraphina were doing in their exam. Knowing them...he wouldn't be surprised if they came out on top.

Shortly after he hit back into the street, he was soon forced to stop when he heard the sound of battle close by. Very close. In the alley, he found a three-point villain battling another applicant. Izuku's eyes widened in recognition. 'That's the one from earlier!' he thought in shock. The one called Tenya Iida, who accused him of distracting everyone and nearly getting into a fight with Seraphina. Going by the troubled look on his face, he was clearly being pushed back into a corner.

Izuku knew he should have just run ahead. It would be unfair to interfere. Especially since this was Iida's opponent.

But...!

 _ **'Their legs moved on their own...before they could even think about what they were doing. No, it would be more accurate to say that they didn't think. They must moved and never stopped. And today...that is EXACTLY you did, young man.'**_

Izuku's hand tightened, curling into a ball.

From his own position, Iida bit his lip. _'Damn...I grossly underestimated a three-point Faux villain!'_ he thought as he slowly stepped back. The machine, in response, drew closer. It didn't even mind the fact that it was rolling over the destroyed remains of a two-point Faux Villain _. 'It used the two-pointer to lure me into a tight space. I can't use my Quirk effectively. My back's literally up against the wall here. If only I could get some momentum...!'_

He barely had enough room to move freely. The alley was too narrow and the Faux villain was fast approaching, its arm reaching into the crevice to get to him. He clicked his tongue in frustration. Was this as far as he went?! How utterly shameful for someone who was meant to uphold the name of "Iida." Gritting his teeth, he braced his legs. Even if he couldn't get enough momentum, he wouldn't go down without a fight! Bracing himself, he felt the exhaust pipes from his calves reverbrate, shaking as he readied his next attack.

However, before he could move-

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" a roaring cry from in front of him shouted with vigor. "SMASH!"

Faux Villian was blown away by a massive impact. The tall boy's eyes widened upon recognizing his apparent savior. It was the green haired boy he reprimanded earlier. Why was he here?

But more importantly, why did he help him? They were in the middle of an exam! Curiosity getting the better of him, Tenya rushed out into the streets to meet his savior.

Izuku panted, feeling his body already feeling the effects. 'Pushing it like that really hurts...' he groaned. He could feel his limbs shaking. He had been so worried about Iida that he accidentally pushed it past 1%. 'Was that 2%? Maybe 3% Crap...'

"H-hey!" Iida called in concern. "Are you alright?"

Izuku offered him a shaky smile, waving a hand. "I-I'm fine...for the most part."

"I see..." Iida nodded before his eyes narrowed. "Why on Earth would you save me? We're in the middle of a test! Surely you know you only have a short amount of time! Why waste it saving your fellow applicant?"

It didn't make sense to him whatsoever. The proctors had already made it clear. No matter how well you did on the written portion of the exam, the true major point of the test was the combat examination. They had, at best, a good few minutes to destroy as many villains as they could within this short time frame. Why would he waste his precious time in saving someone else? It didn't make sense to him whatsoever.

To Izuku, however, it made perfect sense. His face was written in confusion as he scratched his cheek. "Why? Do I need a reason to save someone?"

"...!"

"I mean...you were in danger back there. And it's like what All Might said before: meddling when you don't need to, is the essence of being a Hero!" He added with determination.

Tenya was taken back by his words. This boy risked his life to save him, even during an exam such as this. He blinked at Izuku's response, his words sounding similar to somebody he knew. He closed his eyes and looked away. "Despite… my better judgement…you did take out that robot when I couldn't… So…" He quickly bowed, his quick behavior change surprising Izuku. "Thank you for helping me!"

"H-huh?" An awkward sound came from Izuku's throat, as he was still as a billboard, feeling awkward at the man taking a bow out of nowhere, "You… don't need to bow—"

"But I must! What you did for me..." He looked up at Izuku, face serious yet also genuine. "Was a truly heroic act! And I respect that!"

 _'Heroic Act...'_

Izuku went stiff, his eyes wide at the man's words. He then looked down at his hand, still shaking from the increased outage of One For All, yet also shaking for another entirely different reason.

What he did… was heroic? It was only his thoughts until now, that he would become a hero, but after somebody else saying it…! Someone other than John, Seraphina or All Might...!

 _ **"Izuku Midoriya...you can become a hero!"**_

J-just like All Might…!

Izuku suddenly made a sprint towards the other way, away from the man as he watched with confusion. He never noticed the crimson red blush on Izuku's face, nor the goofy smile that spread across his face as his heart raced.

 _'Is he offended from what I said?'_ he thought, only then to realize what he was partaking in, _'No… he's focused on the Exams! I shouldn't waste any more time!'_

 _ **'Do I need a reason to save someone?'**_

Cursing himself for becoming distracted, he thought back on Izuku's words. A chuckle escaped him, watching his retreating form. _'Saying something like that…that guy...'_

(Flashback End)

* * *

Unknown to Izuku at that time, Tenya Iida was not the only one truly impressed by what had just happened.

"IT'S A TEN!" Midnight, with hearts bouncing around her, exclaimed holding a sign saying '10' on it, "Oh, the youth that young boy has! To jump in and save another man-in-action like that…we need more vigorous men like that in our generation!"

She began dancing around, getting a few sweatdrops from the fellow Pro Heroes around her. "You're being biased, Midnight. No matter how you look at it, Iida Tenya would've performed just the same as his other encounters." Cementoss muttered, placing a cement-covered hand under his chin, "I'll pass on this rating." He gave her a hard look, efficiently ending her 'dance of happiness'. "Save those for when they really matter. You know better than to toss points around like that."

"Buzz-kill." She muttered under her breath, before noticing the other Pro Heroes following suit, refusing to give out their ratings. She gave a small pout. "Fine, fine… I'll take things seriously from now on. Bunch of joykillers...!"

"Don't hesitate on what you feel is right, Midnight-san." Nedzu spoke up, gaining her attention. "After all, Heroes should always meddle, and help those that are in danger, no matter who they are and what they're capable of."

"Izuku Midoriya seems to have those qualities, despite the competition this exam brings," He then held out a sign with a '5' printed out. "I feel as though Izuku deserves this…the young man has certainlyshowed his Hero Spirit." Nedzu passed a glance at his friend Yagi. The man was silent, his hollowed-out eyes tracking Izuku's every move, curious, and astonished. And dare the mousesay it, downright PROUD. Nedzu, with a small smile, turned to the faculty staff. "Very well. If nobody else will deliver their rating, then for Izuku Midoriya, he should gain 15 Rescue points for his actions."

* * *

In another field, whereas Izuku had gone on a saving streak, further impressing the judges with his impressive display of talent and tactic, working together with his fellow applicants and racking up Hero Points far more than Villain Points, two individuals were on the warpath. Everywhere an applicant looked, they saw the destroyed remnants of several Faux Villains. One pointers, two pointers, even three pointers!

The two behind this mass destruction were total opposites. One was a goddess with long hair, untouched by dirt and without a single mar on her body while maintaining a proud look as she continued to seemingly dance across the battlefield, destroying Faux Villain after Faux Villain. The other looked like a metaphorical demon as he destroyed all opposition with a pair of black claws, each digit as sharp as a blade. His golden eyes glowed like fire while a dark mist danced around him, further enhancing this image. The damage done to his uniform didn't really help matters.

"N-no way..." one of the applicants muttered with slight fear and awe, virtually rooted on the spot. "What are those guys?! Are they monsters?!"

John and Seraphina tore through the Faux Villains like they were tissue paper. None of the applicants were able to track Sera's movements due to the nature of her Quirk. All they saw was her appearing at different points all over the field blowing away the massive machinations with a single hit.

Unlike her, John fought like a man possessed. With his black claws, he shredded the metal plating of the Faux Villains and cut them to ribbons. Unbeknownst to the other applicants, what he was using was a Quirk he picked up from his time at Bostin. It was dubbed, Demon Claw by one of his former bullies.

It greatly served its purpose here in the exam, as it allowed John to take out Faux Villain left and right. While he felt bad that he and Seraphina were taking out the competition, they were determined to reach the top place of the practical. That, and they had made a bet: whoever scored the highest on Villain Points would get to pick what was for dinner, no matter how expensive. Given Seraphina's gluttonous self, there was more than enough reason John had to start ripping everything apart.

As it currently stood, John had racked up 67 villain points while Seraphina has 65-she just blew up a three-pointer-68 points.

They were neck and neck right now, and the number of Faux villains were rapidly dwindling.

At this rate, there wouldn't be much left for the other applicants in the area.

* * *

"Look at 'em go..." Ectoplasm chuckled. "The girl fights with finesse, obliterating each and every one with precision. The boy, on the other hand, just rips through anything he can get his hands on."

Cementoss nodded in agreement, folding his arms. "Indeed. However, it is easy to tell that the two of them possess an incredible sense of trust."

"That's because their friends." Yagi said, earning their attention. "The boy is John Doe. The girl is Seraphina Kruez."

Midnight's eyes widened. "Doe?" she questioned in surprise. "As in William H. Doe?"

"The very same." Yagi nodded. "The author of the book, unOrdinary, himself."

"How interesting..." Nedzu spoke up. "Given the boy's history, it was surprising for him to apply at Yuuei of all places. But if what you say is true...then I suppose it makes sense."

Snipe whistled. "I gotta say, though...that Kruez girl is something. Hard to believe that she's related to that old hag Narisa."

"Surprising, I know." Yagi chuckled. "But, that girl is like a daughter to me in more ways than one."

Thirteen chuckled. "So we can see just by the twinkle in your eyes." the Rescue Hero said. "Even so, I hope they show a bit of restraint. At this rate, the other applicants will have zero points!"

"It's their own fault at gawking at those with greater power than them." an apathetic voice said. Yagi turned, finding a familiar mess of black hair and tired, weary eyes staring at the screen. "If that's their extent, then it just means they weren't ready for this year's entrance exams."

"Maybe..." Present Mic grinned. "But the fun hasn't even started yet, Aizawa! In the meantime, you gotta admit, this kid's got some real fire." Their attention turned to one of the monitors, which showed an ashen-blonde youth bearing a savage grin on his face, decimating Faux Villains left and right with explosion after explosion. "Katsuki Bakugo. Other than Seraphina Kruez, he's one of the top students at Orudera Junior High. He's already got over 30 Villain Points."

Nedzu chuckled. "This year's entrance exam certainly has no shortage of interesting applicants this year." he said, clasping his hands. "All Might's successor, Izuku Midoriya. John Doe, the son of a Quirkless hero of his own right. Seraphina Kruez, the daughter of Narisa Kruez. Katsuki Bakugo, the star of Orudera. And, of course..."

Another monitor showed another person of interest. The Faux Villains around them were completely encased in blocks of ice, frozen solid before a well-placed shattered them and broke them apart like glass.

"...Shoto Todoroki, the son of Endeavor himself."

* * *

Shoto Todoroki didn't care much for his opponents. Compared to the people Endeavor had him train with to strengthen him, these piles of scrap were nothing. Another Faux villain, a two-pointer, tried to flank him from behind. Without even turning, a mass of ice rushed to meet the enemy and formed into a sharp spire, skewering its metallic frame and pinning it to the building behind it.

The young teen exhaled, his breath visible from the cold produced by his Quirk. He continued onward to search for more enemies. From what he calculated, he had about 43 villain points right now and a few minutes left.

It was a decent enough score to pass...but Shoto wanted to succeed.

The whole reason why he chose to participate in the Entrance Exam was to prove that he didn't need a free pass. He wanted to prove his power by himself. Even so, the enemies were pitifully weak. Things might have been more interesting if he was fighting a Pro Hero, but this was pathetic.

That said, he couldn't afford to let his guard down. A single mistake could cost him. He remained alert and attentive as he walked through the streets. The area was pretty empty, but there was little to no signs of battle or scrap heaps. Of course, that didn't mean he couldn't sense their presence. He could hear the pieces of metal scurrying about.

"...there aren't many people here." Shoto remarked. "That means I can score good points here uninterrupted."

' _I need to hurry, though.'_ he thought _. 'We only have maybe two, three minutes left.'_

Just as he was about to continue, the wall next to him exploded into debris as a two pointer emerged, aiming a metal claw right at him. Shoto simply glared at it as he jumped away, avoiding it with ease. However, just as his feet touched the ground, the earth beneath him broke apart. Metal tentacles wrapped around his leg. "What?!" Scowling, he looked down to see a three point Faux Villain hidden underneath the concrete, its red eye staring at him. "Damn...so they hide underground too?"

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He looked up to find the two pointer charging at him with the intent of knocking him out. Irritated, his right hand flexed. A chilling cold began to flood the area as a thin sheet of ice began to form. It would only take about two seconds and he would-

"SMASH!"

Suddenly, a boy with curly green hair came out of nowhere, slamming his fist straight into the head of the two pointer. It was subsequently ripped off, sent flying through the air while its main body soon fell to the ground, motionless.

Shoto blinked. Once. Twice. Then he stared. "...what?"

His power froze over the underground robot that held him captive before it shattered. The teen's eyes were focused on the green haired boy around his age. The one who just destroyed the Faux villain with a single blow to the head.

"Hey, are you alright?" The boy asked as he rushed up to him.

Shot stared at the boy, unsure of what to think. Where the hell did he come from? No, nevermind. It didn't matter. Still, how strange. Surely he knew that the test was timed. "...thanks." he said, meaning it. While he didn't understand why the kid saved him, he was still grateful...even if he could have destroyed it. At least he saved him the trouble. He then took notice of his appearance, and immediately felt a sense of respect.

His track suit looked like it had gone through hell. It was utterly tattered and marred in soot and dirt. The sleeves were ripped apart, there were bruises all over his arms and face, and his shoes were pretty much torn to shreds. There was a thin sheet of sweat on his face, and his breath was labored as if he had just ran a marathon.

"You didn't have to save me." Shoto told him honestly. "I could have handled it."

Strangely, the boy chuckled shyly, scratching his cheek. "Y-yeah, I know. I saw you deal with the other Faux Villains. That Quirk is really cool."

That surprised Shoto further. So the kid was watching him? Hm, he might have to keep a careful eye on him in the future, then. Perhaps future competition.

"Well, I better get back to the test." the boy said, glancing down and muttering to himself. Shoto was able to hear him somewhat under his mumbling, watching him as he stared at his shaking hands. "I have to get at least one more point in. Just one more...!"

Then the boy continued to mumble about possibilities and back up plans regarding how many Faux villains would be left at this point. Quite frankly, Shoto was a bit perturbed by the boy's thought process and mumbling. Just as he was about to speak up to ask a question, the ground shook.

Thankfully, it also snapped the boy out of his rambling.

"W-what the?! What's going on?!"

In the distance, smoke began to rise.

* * *

After destroying the hundreth or so Faux Villain, Sera and John stopped in their tracks. The ground underneath them began to shake.

"You feel that too, right?" John looked at her.

"Kinda hard not to..." She quipped back. The ground shook with even more intensity before suddenly stopping. Based on the vibrations, the epicenter of the shaking originated behind them. Both of them turned to find the source and ended looking up...and up...and up...

Standing tall in the middle of the arena, even taller than the skyscrapers, was a Faux villain several times larger than even the three-pointers. On its forehead was a large number 0 engraved.

* * *

"As of now, only two minutes remain." Aizawa spoke with his usual apathetic tone. "From here on, this will separate the ones who will go beyond their limits and those who've hit their wall."

"Yeah..." Ectoplasm nodded in agreement. The rest of the staff watched the screens, observing the Zero-pointer Faux Villain walk through the streets, the applicants fleeing upon seeing its sheer size.

"Of course, it's also where the truly heroic ones will shine." A toothy grin spread across Ectoplasm's face as he turned towards Nedzu. "Isn't that right, Principal?"

The mouse nodded, smiling. "Yes, indeed." he said passionately. "And I have a feeling that a few of these young aspiring heroes will shine brighter than all the rest."

* * *

"N-no way..." Izuku whispered in sheer terror as he saw the giant machine come into full view. He had let curiosity get the best of him, and now he suddenly realized the meaning behind the saying 'curiosity killed the cat.' Only two minutes were left so he shouldn't have bothered. And now he found himself scared out of his mind. The Zero-Point Faux Villain was massive. It was practically destroying anything in its path, trampling over everything. Including the other Faux Villains. "No wonder they called it an obstacle. It's way too big!"

Around him, everyone ran like hell. The only ones that didn't were the red-haired teen Izuku had fought alongside with a while ago, Iida and Shoto. The three of them stared at the giant machine with various feelings. Shoto saw it as a great annoyance, but also an opportunity. Since it was scaring away the rest of the applicants, he would be able to target the rest of the Faux Villains and score even higher. Iida was understandably intimidated and shared Izuku's view of it. It was too massive and dangerous to take on. A true obstacle. The red-head, Eijirou, wasn't sure whether to feel excited or afraid. He idly wondered if this was just how far Yuuei was willing to go to test everyone.

Regardless, that didn't change the fact. Therewas two minutes on the clock. They had to flee.

* * *

"Shit shit shit! Run! Everyone run for your lives!"

As those around them ran with their tails between their legs, John and Seraphina stared down the giant obstacle before them. Seraphina gave a scoff as she flipped her hair, blue cackles of lightning danced around her. John's eyes glowed as a dark hue began to surround him. "Sera." he said, keeping his eyes on the giant machine in front of him. "Think we can cut down this Zero Pointer fast enough to get to the rest of the Faux Villains?"

"That depends..." She let out a smirk. "Wanna sweeten our previous bet? First one that takes it down has to do what the other says for a day?"

Now John had even more of a reason NOT to lose...him and his big mouth!

Cursing, he decided to forgo using his Demon Claws. Since his wallet and shame were on the line, there wasn't any more reason to hold back. Black flames danced around his body, burning like a chaotic inferno while his arms began to crack apart, crystals forming around them before they began to extend over his hands. They reached even further, growing longer and larger before defining into an identifiable shape: a pair of crystal blades. However, cracks began to spread along the blades as the flames began to seep into the cracks, causing the crystal swords to glow and burn with intense heat.

 _'Haven't used this combo in a while.'_ John thought. ' _Should be all I need to kill this sucker!'_

With that, the two leaped forward, vying to see who could destroy the giant machine first.

* * *

Even as everyone ran, Izuku could not move. His feet were rooted to the ground. Why couldn't he run? Was he that terrified? This overwhelming sense of fear couldn't even compare to the time he tried to save Katsuki. The fear he felt from that day paled in comparison to what he was feeling now. Was this...helplessness? Terror? Anxiety?

Whatever the case, unless he moved, Izuku was going to become flattened. 'Move.' he told his body. It refused to obey. His body was shaking. ' _C'mon, dammit! Move!'_

He tried countless times, yet his legs remained rooted where they were. The giant Faux Villain was coming closer. It would take maybe ten seconds before it reached him and crushed him flat.

 _'This is my body, so move!'_ he pleaded. ' _Come on, legs!'_

Izuku grit his teeth, hands clenched tightly to where his nails broke the skin. The pain and the feeling of blood dripping down his knuckles broke the the spell over him. His legs quivered as he swiveled on his feet. He couldn't afford to waste time, here! He needed to find easier targets to defeat! He needed to score more points! Otherwise, he would-!

"A-Aaagh!"

Just as he took two steps, Izuku stopped dead in his tracks. He whirled back around, and his eyes widened fearfully.

There, a few feet away, directly in the path of the Zero Pointer, was the girl who stopped him from falling earlier today, lying flat on the ground with her leg stuck under a piece of rubble.

Suddenly, a familiar scene played out before Izuku. Around him were a crowd of bystanders. The area was covered in flames. In the center was a pile of sludge, bearing malicious teeth and manic eyes. In its grasp was Katsuki, eyes pleading for someone or something to save him.

Before Izuku realized it, his feet were moving again...in the opposite direction.

Iida and Shoto's eyes widened in shock as they watched Izuku ran forward. "What in the world is he doing?!" Iida questioned, taken aback. "Surely he can't think he can take on that thing all by himself!" He then saw the girl on the ground, and then understood. "Wait...is he trying to...?!"

 _'Faster!'_ Izuku shouted in his mind. ' _Faster! Faster!'_

His legs wailed in pain as One For All increased in power. They threatened to snap under the strain. It was painful to run. But he didn't care. All the curly-haired boy cared about was saving that girl. He soon reached her and knelt down, giving her a quick look. "Are you okay?!"

"I-I can't get up!" the girl winced in pain as she tried to remove her leg from the pile of debris. Izuku was already on it, grabbing the rubble and prying it off of her. Before he could pull her up and run, a shadow loomed over them. He looked over his shoulder, and his face paled.

The Zero Pointer was right on top of them.

Worse, it was looking down...straight at them. A giant clump of metal attached to the silver joint on its shoulder pulled back, soon coming down. Izuku grit his teeth, rising to his feet. His fingers coiled into a fist. 1% wasn't going to cut this. Not 5%, not 10. Not 50. The only thing that could stop it...was a fully powered punch.

A punch that would break his arm and dwindle his chances of success. He wouldn't get the points in time to pass. Already, the disappointed faces of All Might, John, Seraphina and his mother were formed in his head.

Even still... Even still!

He was going to do it.

He wanted to save her. He was going to save this girl!

The fist was coming closer now. Izuku reared his arm back, sucking in a deep breath. He felt One For All building in his arm. He opened his mouth, ready to let his fist fly and meet the piece of scrap metal head on.

"SMA-"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE YA BIG SON OF A BITCH!"

Just as it came down, a familiar mess of red came in, catching the fist with a pair of bulging, ripped arms seemingly made of rock and iron. Izuku and the girl blinked in shock, unable to believe what happened before looking at the teen, Eijirou. Veins were found bulging in his face as he struggled to keep the fist from crushing them. Beneath his feet, the ground underneath him began to crack.

"H-holy shit this sucker's heavy...!" he gritted his teeth before looking at Izuku with a grin. "I-I wanted to pay you back! E-Eijirou Kirishima! Nice to meeta!"

"I-Izuku Midoriya!" Izuku responded, stunned by what just happened. "Pleasure to meet you!"

"Great! Now can you grab the girl and go?! I can't hold this thing for much longer!" Eijirou grunted as his hardened arms were beginning to crack from the sheer weight they were supporting.

"R-Right!" The green haired boy nodded as he gently picked up the girl and carried her out of the zero-pointer's path. Once the two were out of harms' way, Eijirou let go and jumped to the side to avoid being flattened.

secs agoHe glanced up at the machine and smirked. "Heh...I know this thing isn't worth anything, but my pride as a man just wouldn't let me stop here." he said, slamming his fist into his palm. "Alright, then! I'm kicking this thing's ass!"

The applicants were stunned by what had just happened. Two people had just gone out of their way to save someone. A call announced that there was only a minute left now. There was only sixty seconds before the test would end. Even so, Izuku Midoriya wasn't one to simply stand idly by. Eijirou was definitely no match for that thing by himself.

However...!

 **[Play: Boku no Hero Academia Soundtrack - You Say Run]**

 _'Since when do heroes fight by themselves?!'_

Once more he charged back into the fray. One For All was burning inside of him. Brighter than he had ever felt it before. The back of his mind was buzzing. The Zero-Pointer let out a mechanical whirring sound that sounded like some kind of roar as it swung its other arm down. Eijirou rolled to the side, avoiding it and hopping on its arm while it slowly retracted. Izuku leaped up, bouncing off the ground and running across the side of a building, using the momentum to jump up to the arm.

Eijirou grinned. "Hey, what took ya, bro?" he said. "Your pride as a man wouldn't let you be, either?" Izuku didn't understand what pride had to do with anything, so he just went along with it and nodded. "From that look in your eye...you got something that can take this thing down, yeah?"

"Y-yeah...but I need a clear shot."

The redhead smirked. "Then let this embodiment of manliness open that shot for ya!"

The single red eye of the Faux Villain stared at them as it raised its other arm, intending swipe them off of its body. As the two braced themselves to stop it, a war cry came up from behind. Their eyes whirled to the opposing building to the left side, finding something...or rather, someone charging straight up the building at incredible speeds. A loud crack in the air followed as that someone - Tenya Iida, slammed his leg into the arm, creating a small indent. The force behind the kick was enough to divert the path of its swipe, causing it to slam into the joint of the arm Eijirou and Izuku were on.

A small shudder, followed by a dipping in the arm, let them know that it had just severed its own arm because of his actions. Quickly, they ran and jumped to its remaining arm. The applicants watched in awe as the severed clump of metal fell to the ground with a thud.

"I've repaid my debt to you, Midoriya Izuku!" Iida shouted at them as he landed on a building's balcony. "The rest is up to you!"

The curly-haired boy was shocked at first. Eventually, he smiled gratefully and nodded. He then charged forward, running up the arm. The Faux Villain glowered at him, pulling its arm back. As it attempted to throw him off, Eijirou wasn't about to let it do so and jumped at its joint. His hands hardened, sharpening into blades.

"This looks pretty flimsy!" he cackled. "Hope you don't mind being crippled!"

Just as Izuku reached its forearm, Eijirou tore into the joint. As quickly as he could, he slashed and hacked and cut away, slicing through metal and wires before he eventually cut all the way through. Moments later, it lost another arm. By now, the machine's AI warned it that it couldn't allow that green-haired boy to get too close. It needed to flee.

Just as it was about to retreat, spears of ice impaled its treadwheels and torso from different angles, pinning it in place.

"Izuku Midoriya, was it?" Shoto called from where he stood on the ground. The applicants found him kneeling on the ground, his right hand placed firmly on the concrete. Outward from him was a clear path of ice that encircled the Zero Pointer, and where the spears of ice originated from. He doubted the boy could hear him. He was high on adrenaline now. "I've paid you back for earlier. Now finish it!"

Reaching the mid-section of its arm, Izuku jumped up. One For All went overtime. He felt the muscles in his arm straining and breaking from the sheer pressure because of the power that was burning right now. He clenched his teeth, powering through this pain. This was it. Everything was going to be decided right here and now. So what if there was only a few seconds left?! All that mattered right now...all that mattered right now...!

 _"Texas...!"_

As the teachers watched, completely and utterly stunned, Toshinori Yagi grinned. _'That's the way, Young Midoriya. Only, in moments such as these, when faced with a terrible threat and a life on the line, can one's true passion shine! The passion...of one's heroic spirit! Now go, young man! Go beyond!_ _ **PLUS ULTRA**_ _! ! !'_

 _ **"SMAAASH! ! !"**_

His fist rocketed and smashed into the zero-pointer's face dead center. The metal caved in and crumpled like paper before exploding. The sheer power of the punch had blown the head apart. The momentum of the strike forced its body backward before collapsing.

The other applicants and teacher's were amazed at what the boy had just done. He just destroyed the Zero Pointer.

Izuku, still airborne, was processing what he had just done. He...he did it! He beat that robot! But as the adrenaline died down, only now did the pain from One for All's backlash register in his head. His arm was now completely discolored and bruised, his bones broken and fractured in several places. Thankfully, before he found himself in too much of a panic, he was snatched out of the air by Iida.

"I got you!" He exclaimed as he landed on the roof of another building, Izuku in his arms.

The green-haired boy was still slightly out of it. He was biting his lip. Hard enough to draw blood. Good god he wanted nothing more than to scream. _'S-somehow...'_ he thought on the verge of tears. _'It-it hurts worse than the first time I went 100%.'_

He then glanced down below at the street. His eyes widened when he saw Eijirou grinned at him, giving him two huge thumbs up. The girl from earlier was smiling at him, waving her hands and yelling something. He couldn't quite hear it, but he knew she was mouthing something along the lines of 'thank you.' Shoto merely had a small, barely noticeable smile on his face. Proof of acknowledgment.

"You took your precious time saving myself and them, even though this exam was timed," Iida said, bringing Izuku to him. For the first time, the uptight boy was smiling. "It seems I truly do owe you an apology from before. You were trying just as hard as the rest of us, it seems." He then glanced down at Izuku's demolished arm. "Even so, you should learn to not push yourself so hard! Look what you did to your arm! The test is almost over and you only have one arm!"

Oh...that's right. There was less than a minute left, wasn't there? Wasn't that bad? It was, right? He only scared, maybe, a good 20? 25 points?

So...why didn't he really care all that much? He should be concerned that he had so few points under his belt, not even enough to pass. But...he didn't mind at all...

For some reason...he felt...content...

Also, why was it so hard to keep his eyes open? As the adrenaline wore off, exhaustion finally caught up to him.

"H-hey..." Iida frowned as Izuku's head began to bob. He couldn't keep his eyes up anymore. It was just too tiresome. His mind fell into unconsciousness, followed by his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Seeing this, the uptight student sighed. "Oh dear..."

"Heeeeeey!"

Blinking, Iida looked down. The girl from earlier was down below, calling out to him. To his surprise, various pieces of debris were lifted up, forming into makeshift platforms. "She...made a way down?" he questioned before he shook his head. "Nevermind that. I should get him down from here."

* * *

If it were possible, Midnight's face would have split in half because of the grin on her face as she looked at Cementoss, completely and utterly smug about what had just happened. To his credit, he was at least able to keep somewhat a straight face. "Now, what did you say earlier about me being biased?" she asked, her voice just daring him to challenge her. "Well, go on."

"It isn't the first time someone's destroyed a Zero Pointer like that..." Ectoplasm chuckled. "But it's been too damn long since I've seen 'em go down like that. One hit, and that's all she wrote." He then turned to Yagi, who had a large smile on his face. "Your successor ain't half bad, old man."

The Symbol of Peace huffed. "I trained him myself. Though, of course, I couldn't take all the credit." His eyes danced to the screen, which showed Seraphina and John. Much to his own chagrin, they were found bickering and arguing over the smoking, heaping pile of junk that was once the Zero Pointer. The damn thing didn't even last a minute against the two of them. It only showed just how powerful these two were together. "Those two helped. Speaking of which...how long have they been arguing?"

"A good minute or so." Recovery Girl, who had been relatively silent up until now, said with a small smile. The small old lady then hopped out of her chair, making her way to the area. "I suppose I better go down and tend to their injuries now. You all already know my thoughts~"

Nedzu nodded, watching the backbone of the academy leave before he turned to the faculty. "So then, everyone." he said, smiling as usual. "As you can see, the test has officially come to an end. And two Zero Pointers, left utterly destroyed. I suppose now is a good time to distribute the rankings. To start, why not grade our more impressive stars?"

"I say the MVP of this year was Izuku Midoriya." Power Loader said, expressing his thoughts. "I'm not saying this because he's All Might's successor here. I'm saying it because that kid has all the aspects of a hero. He scored 23 Villain Points. By acing the written exam with 25 Villain Points, it is theoretically possible to pass. However, that kid didn't seem to care much about points. Instead, after he saved Ingenium's kid brother, he chose to start saving other applicants and working together with them. And it paid off at the end. Three students, all of whom he saved, worked together with him to bring down the Zero Pointer."

Thirteen nodded in agreement. "Yes, that is certainly true. With how many applicants he protected, he's earned more than enough Hero Points. ESPECIALLY when he saved Ochako Uraraka."

"On the other end of the spectrum, we've got Katsuki Bakugo." Snipe brought up. "He was practically on a killing spree, racking up points like crazy. He also took advantage of the Zero Pointer scaring off the rest of the applicants, using the confusion to take out the small fry. His control over his Quirk is impressive. He must have trained extensively to learn how to use it effectively." He paused a bit, scratching his chin. "Although, his aggression is kind of worrisome. All it takes is one look to see that he enjoys smashing things. If he isn't careful, he could very well become a villain."

Nedzu nodded in agreement. "Yes. Thankfully, that is what the counselors are fore." he said before bringing their attention to two other stars. "And then we have Mr. Doe and Ms. Kruez. How do you think the two of them fared?"

"Simply marvelous." Thirteen put in his two cents. "Not only did they make fast work of the Faux Villains, they took out the Zero-pointer quickly as well. They also saved the few who weren't able to flee in time. Although...I feel bad that that they were too good...they barely left any enemies for the other applicants."

Aizawa nodded. "The boy's Quirk is obviously powerful. He can mimic any Quirk he sees and then use it as his own. Of course, it also brings to mind what kind of drawbacks he has."

"On the plus side, his ability to mix Quirks together to create a powerful combination can turn the tides easily." Snipe added. "The Kruez girl is just as powerful. Quirks that affect time are rare, and ones like hers are quite impressive. The boost in strength is an added bonus."

Nedzu smiled widely. "Splendid. Now then, I believe it is time to grade them appropriately."

* * *

It had been a few weeks since the entrance exam. A few weeks since Izuku had participated...and failed.

"Hey hey, chin up." John said as he sat across from his friend. They had decided to see him, given his slight depression that had been going on for the last couple of days. Inko was certainly happy to see John, but was stunned to see a girl in her own abode. She greeted them happily and was clearly excited that Izuku had made such incredible friends. "You don't know if you failed or not. After all, they haven't sent you the letter, right?"

Izuku shook his head. "N-no..." he said anxiously. "B-but what if they never send it? W-what if I screwed up? What if I...failed All Might?"

"Even if you did, Uncle Yagi wouldn't hold it against you." Seraphina said gently as she bit into her sushi. "If anything, he would be proud of you what you did in the exam. I've been hearing quite a bit about a certain curly-haired kid who smashed a Zero Pointer all to hell." An amused smile crossed her face as Izuku's cheeks turned pink, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "At least now I know why you busted your arm up again. Plus, you got help from three others, right?"

"Y-yeah." Izuku nodded. "Their Quirks...were impressive. That Iida guy turned his legs into literal engines. A-and the guy with the red-and-white hair was really strong! He could freeze practically anything around him like its nothing. He might even be stronger than Kacchan!" An excited shiver ran down Izuku's spine. Was that even possible? Someone other than Sera or John that was stronger than Katsuki? The mere idea somehow made him all the more curious. "And Eijirou-san's Quirk is also pretty impressive! He could harden his skin to the point where he could cut through metal. Everyone in the exam had such cool Quirks...!"

In the midst of his excitement, however, Izuku's face fell flat as he placed his chopsticks on the cup holding his rice. He then stared at his hand, The same hand he smashed up in the exam. "Compared to them, I'm...weak. All I can do with All Might's power is 1%. Any more than that, and my body hurts like hell."

"Yeah, but you have to remember something, Mido-kun." Sera told him. "Uncle Yagi was the same way. One For All is a Quirk that requires you to become stronger to use it to its fullest. Even someone like All Might had to work to the bone in order to use it to its full potential. After all, it isn't just your typical strength enhancement. Its a Quirk that has the raw physical power of several different people."

"And now, you have All Might's power added t that. So naturally, it would be more difficult to master it. But I know you can do it. It just takes time and a lot of practice." John added.

At their words, Izuku's mood slightly improved. "R-right." he said before he developed a curious look. "By the way...did you guys get your letters yet?"

Sera smirked. "Apparently, Baka-go is going to be in a much more foul mood if he isn't already." she said. "While he is in the top ten, he wasn't the one who came in First Place."

Izuku choked on his sushi roll. Katsuki didn't come in first place? "T-then who?"

"Can't say."

John groaned. "You just love the suspense, don't you, Sera?" he said, earning a smirk in response. "I haven't gotten mine. I think I scored pretty good, though. I just hope I don't get in the same class as Bakugo, though. Otherwise he's going to be asking for a fight every single day of my life."

"I-I-IZUKU!"

The three kids turned, finding the plump form of Inko Midoriya at the door and on her knees, a panicked and anxious expression on her face as she held a letter in her hand. Printed on it was "Yuuei."

The curly-haired boy's eyes widened in shock. "I-it came..." he whispered as he got up and took it from Inko.

The woman watched, terrified and worried about the negative outcome, as her son came back over to the table. With trembling fingers, he gingerly opened up the envelope. A loud gulp came from his throat, swallowing his fears and steeling himself. His fate of becoming a hero was going to be decided. He flipped the envelope upside down, and clattering to the table was a round disk.

He blinked. Once. Twice.

Then the disk lit up. In seconds, a rectangular holographic screen danced above his table, much to his and Inko's wonder. However, soon their faces became ones of shock when a familiar, muscular man stood on screen, his yellow suit barely containing his ripped form.

 _"Testing! One two, one one one two! Can you hear me?!"_

"A-ALL MIGHT?!" Izuku cried. "H-HOW?! ISN'T THIS FROM YUUEI?!"

As it was a recording, he knew he couldn't get an answer. However, the large grin on All Might's face was one of amusement and enthusiasm. _"I'm terribly sorry about how long it took, Young Midoriya! Troubles aside, worry not!_ _ **FOR I AM HERE**_ _!"_ his voice boomed, strong and proud. Izuku felt his heart racing. _"I wasn't allowed to tell you this earlier, and I asked Little Sera to keep it a secret from you, but as of this year, I will be apart of Yuuei Academy's faculty!"_

A second of silence, followed by a shrill scream. "EEEEEEEEEH?!"

Both Izuku and John were surprised by this revelation. All Might was going to be teaching at Yuuei?! Both pairs of eyes snapped over to Seraphina, who smirked knowingly at the two.

The holographic message continued. All Might cocked his eye as a hand snapped at him. _"What's that? Turn the camera the other way?"_ he asked. _"But I have something to tell the boy!"_ Another motion. _"You'll fix it in the presentation? Bah!"_ Shaking his head, he put his hands on his hips. _"Alright, then! Izuku Midoriya!"_ Izuku stood straighter, feeling the intense gaze All Might bore into him, despite it being a recording. _"You had 23 villain points, and you passed the written exam. However..."_

A tense moment...then Izuku's world fell apart.

 _"...you failed."_

Inko's hands came to her mouth, tears swelling in her eyes as she stared at Izuku. His face suddenly went slack. His mind short-circuited. A cold wave of dread drenched over him. Reality was starting to knock into his mind. Soon, he also felt tears beginning to sting at his eyes. He bit his lip, refusing to whimper. His pride wouldn't let him.

 _'Dammit..._ ' he cursed himself. _'Even with All Might, John and Senpai...I-I still...!'_

It hurt, it really did. He hoped he had succeeded, despite everything that common sense told him, but even still...!

Damn it...!

 _"HOWEVER!"_ Izuku was snapped out of his despair, looking back at All Might, who's wide grin grew even wider. _"In my old life, I found myself to be quite the entertainer. Take a look at this, Young Midoriya!"_ Swiping out a remote, All Might turned and aimed it at the TV in the background.

With a click, the monitor turned itself on. It showed Present Mic inside a room, though the door soon slid open. Entering were-

Izuku's breathed hitched. _'I-it's them...?!'_

[ _Standing in the doorway were the four people he saved. Iida, Eijirou, Shoto, and the girl from before._

 _"Pardon us for a moment." Iida called. "Is there a teacher here?"_

 _The girl stepped inside, followed by Eijirou. "We're sorry for bugging you all," the red-haired teen said, rubbing his neck. "But we've got a request."_

 _"Y-you see..." the girl stammered. "T-there's this - Midoriya-kun, I think! Short, curly hair, kind of average looking?"_

 _"We came to ask if it were possible to share our points with him." Shoto said. Izuku's eyes went wide, feeling his legs wobble. D-did he hear that right? "I heard him mention he needed more points to pass. I paid him back when he destroyed that Faux Villain, but...I feel he deserves a place at Yuuei along with the rest of us."_ ]

John and Sera watched together with Inko. Watching as four people, people that Izuku did not know, were willing to lose their chance at Yuuei simply to make sure he succeeded.

[ " _That boy, he-!" the girl clasped her hands together. "If it weren't for him, I'd be dead right now!"_

 _Iida adjusted his glasses, a determined look in his eyes. "I overheard from other applicants that Midoriya-san had continuously chosen to save several of the applicants, despite being short on time. What he did back in that mock battle was nothing short but acts worthy of a hero!"_

 _"Damn straight!" Eijirou nodded. "As a man, I can't let my debt go unrepaid!"_

 _"S-so, please...!" the girl bowed together with Iida. "Please...!"_

 _Present Mic chuckled, rubbing his nose. "Well, that's a fine gesture you four are making." he said with a smile, putting a hand on their shoulders. "But, I don't think that'll be necessary. Have faith in the short stuff!"_ ]

The recording reached it's end. The camera then returned its attention All Might, who had his arms folded. His very face beamed with pride. _"Young Midoriya...surely you, of all people, must know that a hero's job simply isn't to just destroy villains and save the day!"_ he said with laughter and enthusiasm. " _Your actions, Quirkless or no, is what defines you!"_

Izuku's legs wobbled. Tears were flowing openly down his cheeks. Inko came up from behind, holding him and supporting him with the greatest and widest smile she could muster, despite the fact that, like her son, she too was a sobbing mess. John and Sera flanked him on either side, a hand on each shoulder and a wide, proud smile on their face.

 _"You better brace yourself for this, young man!"_ All Might stepped aside to reveal a scoreboard. On it were a list of names, each with a number.

 **8th place: Ochako Uraraka - 26 Villain Points / 25 Rescue Points**

 **5th Place: Shoto Todoroki - 43 Villain Points / 10 Rescue Points**

 **4th Place: Tenya Iida - 45 Villain Points / 10 Rescue Points**

 **3rd Place: Katsuki Bakugo - 70 Villain Points / 0 Rescue Points**

 **2nd Place: Seraphina Kruez - 70 Villain Points / 5 Rescue Points**

 **2nd Place: John Doe - 70 Villain Points / 5 Rescue Points**

 **1st Place-**

"N-no way..."

All Might smirked. _"Congratulations, Izuku Midoriya! You..."_

 **-Izuku Midoriya - 23 Villain Points / 75 Rescue Points**

"...have passed!"

Izuku was absolutely speechless. Not only did he pass, but he scored the highest out of all the applicants, even surpassing John and Seraphina! This has got to be a dream, it had to have been! Were it not for his mother and his friends, he would have fallen to the floor in a stupor. Inko sobbed, holding her son even tighter. The news that she was hearing was like music to her ears.

Izuku continued to stare at the image of his idol and teacher as his smile threatened to split his face in half. _"Come, Izuku."_ he said, extending his hand and opening wide for the boy to take it. _"This...is your Hero Academia!"_

Izuku extended his hand towards the hologram and made a fist, signifying his determination. This was it. This was his first step towards becoming the number 1 Hero!

John and Seraphina were also proud of him, but they also noticed one thing.

"Wait a minute, it says that Sera and I both tied for second place..."

 _"By now, I'm sure Little Sera and John have received their letters as well!"_ All Might continued on. " _The reason for this is because, unfortunately, the judges couldn't reach a good decision!"_

Sera scowled. "Damn. And here I was hoping for a fancy dinner, too."

 _'Thank god...'_ John sweatdropped with relief. _'I don't think my wallet could handle Sera's stomach.'_

 _"I expect to see you at the beach, early in the morning tomorrow, Young Midoriya!"_ the blonde hero said jovially. _"Now, if you excuse me...!"_

The message then came to an end.

* * *

Elsewhere, out on the limits of the city, a brawl was taking place underneath a train bridge. A shadow was overcast, hiding the participants of this battle from view. Grunts, pained cries and yells could be heard echoing in the tunnel. After a few minutes or so, the sounds of battle died out, replaced with silence. After a minute, footsteps echoed.

"Good grief..." a male voice sighed. "It seems the competition over at South Jikuo Prep School has started to thin out. Compared to last time, this only took three minutes."

Three figures stepped out from the shadows of the tunnel. The first was a handsome blonde bearing a condescending, yet confident expression on his face. He had stylized, neat blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a plain dress shirt over a simple cobalt blue blazer with a red neck-tie and white trousers. The second a teen his age with messy red hair and bronze yellow eyes. Rather than a school uniform, he wore a black tanktop with faded jeans and sneakers, earphones plugged into his ears while having a neutral expression. The third was a girl with peach pink hair that fell past the shoulders, complete with pink eyes. Like the blonde, she wore a white dress shirt with a blue blazer, though she naturally wore a light blue skirt rather than trousers and had a blue ribbon around her neck.

"What did you expect?" the girl asked as she munched on a piece of pockey. "Most of the top dogs over at Jikuo got done with the Yuuei Entrance Exam. They're probably either playing it safe or failed and are crying their eyes out." A sigh escaped her as she shook her head before shooting a glare at the blonde. "Seriously, though! Next time, tell me we're having a turf war! My brother just got home from work, Arlo!"

The blonde laughed, holding his hands up in defense. "Alright, alright!" he said. "Sorry."

"Hmph."

"How about I treat us to ice cream later, Remi?" The blonde offered.

In an instant, the girl's demeanor flipped to a 180, a happy grin now on her face. "Okay!"

"But to think...this will be one of the last times we get together like this as junior high students..." The red-haired teen commented, bringing attention over to him. "It's kinda hard to believe time passed by so fast."

"It's unlike you to get so sentimental, Blyke." Arlo commented. "We all got into Yuuei, so we will all still be together."

"Yeah...but I doubt they would let us do turf wars anymore. Yuuei is pretty strict about those kinds of things."

Arlo shrugged. "It was getting rather stiff, anyway." he confessed. They hadn't had a decent challenge in months ever since the Queen of Orudera had ceased to participate in turf wars. The blonde wouldn't lie, he felt a bit dissatisfied with that. Of course, what he learned today when he got his letter of acceptance had brought forth a small grin. "Besides, the people who were in the top ten caught my interest."

"You mean Sera, right?" Remi asked, shivering with excitement. "I can't believe she's going to Yuuei too! She should have told me!"

"I'm sure she has her reasons." Blyke said, stuffing his hands into his pants. "Still, the guy who came in first place...what do you think he's like, Arlo?"

The blonde smiled. "I suppose we'll find out, sooner or later." he said.

They continued their way home, all the while leaving behind their defeated opponents, leaving them to be forgotten.

No one knew it yet, but...the coming school year at Yuuei Academy would be an interesting one. One that no one, be them students or faculty members, would surely forget.

* * *

-Episode 2: END-

* * *

 _NEXT TIME!_

 _Remi: Long time no see, Sera!_

 _Aizawa: Midoriya, how far was your best pitch?_

 _Katsuki: D-Deku...you fucking shit! How long?! How long were you playing me for a fool?!_

 _All Might: Ah, damn...those kids have the worst luck! Having Aizawa for their homeroom teacher!_

 _Aizawa: The student with the lowest score and ability...will be removed from the Hero Course._

 _John: Being a hero was never my intention in the first place. The only reason I'm here is to be with my friends. That's really it._

Episode 3: Do or Die! Shouta Aizawa's Test!

 _Remi and Ochako: Go beyond your limits!_ _ **PLUS ULTRA!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride. The creator of many fantastic masterpieces such as: Code Geass: Lelouch of the R-eset, Persona 4: The Unseen Truth, DxD: Final, DxD: Nocturne, RWBY: Colorless Memories, RWBY: Black Rebellion, RWBY: Final Judgment, Bloom, Wilt, and Scatter, Drifting towards Rebellion, The Reversed Fool of Justice, Persona 5: Hoshi to Bokura to, Outsiders, Die Set Down, Fate: Breaker, Fate: stay night: Dragon of Dragons, Digimon D-Code: Error of Hades, Metastability, The Taken King, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing.**

 **I highly recommend you check them all out.**

 **I really appreciate your help, man. Couldn't have done this without ya!**

 **EDIT: We also edited chapter 2 to better explain the drawbacks of John's power.**

 **PLEASE READ: This story is a crossover between My Hero Academia, and the Webtoon, unOrdinary by Uru-chan. We highly recommend to check it out in order to better understand this story, for there will be spoilers. Plus, it is an amazing piece of work by Uru-chan, who owns unOrdinary. This crossover will feature characters from unOrdinary.**

 **Also, the cover image was made by and belongs to Uru-chan.**

* * *

 _Heroes._

 _It's the profession that used to be in mere comic books and in people's imagination - becoming a real-life occupation._

 _There are many kinds of heroes, each with different powers and abilities, and all are well-known by the public due to their exploits._

 _What do they all have in common, you might ask?_

 _The answer is simple: like us, they didn't start out as heroes - they were youths learning to control their powers. And there was a single institution that could bring out their full potential:_

 _Yuuei Private Academy!_

 _It has a 3% Acceptance Rating, between the many hundreds of applicants who apply to the school after graduating Junior High._

 _It's where new legends are made...and it's where me and my two friends are going!_

 _My name is Izuku Midoriya. I am now a First-Year Freshman Student at this prestigious academy. And this is the story of how I became the greatest hero in the world!_

* * *

 **A Boku no Hero Academia x UnOrdinary Crossover:**

 **"My Hero Academia: The UnOrdinary Ones"**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3: Do or Die! Shouta Aizawa's Test**_

"Do you have everything, Izuku?" Inko asked as she watched her young child fasten his shoe laces. There were so many emotions running through her right now. Pride being the most dominant. What mother wouldn't feel proud over their child if they saw him wearing that Yuuei uniform: gray blazer and all? "Handkerchiefs, underwear, toothbrushes?"

Izuku nodded. "Y-Yes, mom! I have everything!" He tightened the last of the laces and stood up. "Alright, I'm off! I'll see you later, mom!"

"I-Izuku!" the boy stopped just as his hand was at the knob. Looking at his mother, he found a wide smile across her otherwise chubby face. "I think...you're very cool!"

He blinked. Then grinned madly.

Best words he could have heard all morning.

* * *

"...is there a reason why you don't have the tie on?"

John gave Sera a flat stare. "Because it's a death sentence." he said as if it was obvious. "That, and it looks ridiculous."

Both of them were walking toward the train station, dressed in the Yuuei uniform. John wore the gray blazer over the white shirt and black pants, but the tie was a no-go. Seraphina on the other hand wore the full ensemble, but kept the blazer open.

John never really had a respect for uniforms with ties. He initally chose to go along with Bostin's traditional uniform before deciding 'screw it' and forgoed the necktie. He was never fond of those death traps, regardless of what people said.

"Oh, come on." Seraphina rolled her eyes, smiling slightly. "You're being dramatic."

"H-heeeeey!"

The two stopped and turned around, finding Izuku rushing towards them, hands on the straps of his backpack. He was rushing as fast as possible, though he soon caught up to them. "Easy there, Izuku." John smiled a bit. "Don't push yourself."

"I-I'm fine!" the green-haired boy insisted. "Really! And sorry for taking so long!"

"No worries. We just got here ourselves. And from the look of things, you seem pretty excited." Seraphina commented.

"How could I not be?" Izuku caught his breath and smiled. "We're all attending Yuuei Academy! We're going to be heroes!"

"Correction." the former Tyrant held up a hand. "You're going to be a hero. Me and Sera are just coming along to make sure you don't screw yourself over. And possibly die."

Seraphina shook her head. "Ever the optimist, John."

* * *

Yuuei Private Academy.

Out of all the schools in the world who teach various students from different countries, it is by far not only the most successful or the most renowned, but also the most prestigious. Backed by many companies and agencies, it is constantly being funded and upgraded. It is, without question, one of the most diverse heroic academies in the entire world.

Additionally, there is also the heroes it has produced to consider. The Symbol of Peace, All Might. The Flame Hero, Endeavor. The Rescue Hero, Thirteen. Chivalrous Hero, Fourth Kind.

So many powerful and successful heroes, all of whom born and molded by this very institution.

Even young, rapidly rising Pro Heroes graduated from Yuuei, such as X-Static and Ingenium.

And with the publication and release of the book, unOrdinary, many more applications from aspiring teenagers flooded into the recruitment office. Due to the strenuous curriculum made to prepare students for real-world heroics, they could only accept so many each year into the various Courses. In Yuuei, there are four departments where students can apply to: Hero, General Education, Support, and Management.

The Hero Department is where a majority of students apply to. It is the course where students learn everything they need to know to become excellent Heroes and serve the community and work to obtain qualifications to use their Quirks in public.

The General Education Department is for students who don't make the cut for the hero department. It boasts a top-notch education with an eclectic lineup of teachers. The department of general education supports students aiming for college and other pursuits. It is also possible for students with exceptional grades to be transferred to the hero department.

The Support Department is where students who prefer a behind the scenes approach can enroll in. Students focus on creating support equipment to assist Heroes on the battlefield. They also help tailor the costumes of Hero Department students. It provides an unmatched creative environment due to a wide work space and access to executive tools.

The Management Department focuses on Heroics business, from founding and managing Hero agencies to executive producing Heroes. They even do hands-on lessons on venture capitalism.

All in all, it is indeed the ultimate institution and home to Heroes.

* * *

"...why're the ceilings and hallways so freaking tall?"

While Izuku was fanboying and standing in awe, still amazed by the fact that he was actually here in the place of his dreams, Seraphina and John were questioning the architecture of the place. The doors and ceilings were unusually large, reaching up as high as ten, maybe twenty feet. It was unneccesary in their opinion, and perhaps a bit flashy until they remembered that it was mot likely built to handle students who's Quirks increased their size to inhuman proportions.

"Probably to accommodate for students of all sizes. I mean, Uncle Yagi is pretty tall in his Hero form. Not to mention other students I've seen here." The former Queen of Orudera commented.

"Yeah, but still...It seems pretty excessive."

"So, which class are we in?"

Surprisingly, it was Izuku who answered. "W-we're in Class 1-A." he said, stammering a bit. He was still reeling from the grandeur of the place. "Classes 1-B and lower are different courses."

"I see." Seraphina hummed, looking at the class markers. Eventually, she found it. "There's our class. Over there at the end of the hall."

"That's pretty easy to remember." John stated as the trio made their way over.

Like the rest of the doors, the door leading to their room reached close to the ceiling. "T-this is it." Izuku gulped. He took a deep breath. This was a new start for him. The start of his new path to becoming a hero. Slowly, a smile touched his face. "Hopefully, my desk can stay in one piece and I don't have to hear any explosions-"

" _REMOVE YOUR FEET FROM THAT DESK THIS INSTANT!"_ a familiar voice cried in outrage from inside the classroom. _"HAVE YOU NO RESPECT FOR THE DECOR THAT IS APART OF THIS SCHOOL'S HISTORY?!"_

"Hah! What makes you think I give a shit? A desk's a desk, four-eyes!"

"F-four eyes?!"

"-for a while..." Izuku trailed off, sighing and drooping his head down. John and Seraphina sweat-dropped, recognizing that cocky voice anywhere.

Wordlessly, they pulled open the doors. The classroom was quite large and overall very different. Compared to this, Orudera seemed like a relic. The desks were not made of wood and cheap metal, but lacquer and pristine white tops that looked far too clean to be normal with white chairs seated neatly behind them.

And sure enough, a familiar ashen-blonde teen with a toothy grin sat in one, feet propped up on the desk.

"Seriously? Baka-go is in our class too?" Seraphina groaned in a face-palm.

"Just what are the odds...?"

The person he was arguing with was Tenya Iida, who looked close to busting a blood vessel. He eventually managed to calm himself down and took a deep breath. "Let me start over." he said, a hand over his chest. "I am Iida, Tenya. I am from Soumei Private-"

"Soumei?" Katsuki narrowed his eyes, grin turning vicious. "So you're an elite? Heh, that'll make crushing you all the more satisfying!"

Iida looked as if he had just been struck. " _E-excuse me_?! Are you certain you should be in the Hero Course?!"

That was the question that ran through everyone's mind. Katsuki may have a powerful Quirk, but his temperament and attitude make him much more suited to being a villain. Izuku could only laugh nervously. This behavior from his childhood friend was actually pretty standard. His laugh caught the attention of a few students. Primarily Iida and Katsuki. The meek boy yelped when Katsuki's eyes turned downright murderous, eyes set on him. The face pretty much said it all. He was NOT happy that Izuku was here whatsoever. The boy expected that much, given how angry he was when he found out that, other than John and Seraphina, he was also apart of the students from Orudera with a spot at this school. Not to mention the fact that it was Izuku who scored first place rather than him.

However...unlike before, he wasn't scared. Okay, that was a lie. He was REALLY scared. But he wasn't about to let Katsuki scare him off. He EARNED his way here, dammit, and he wasn't about to let anyone, much less his bully, ruin that for him.

Thankfully, there was one person who was happy to see him. No, scratch that. Two or three persons.

"Hey, Izuku!"

"Aah, Midoriya-san!"

Iida and Eijirou, who was smiling as he leaped up from his desk, said together in unison as they ran over to him, causing him to yelp out in shock.

"I saw your results, man!" the red-haired teen from the test said, wrapping his arm around his neck. "That was effin crazy!"

"Agreed! I never would have expected you to make it to first place!"

Naturally, this caused Katsuki to scowl something fierce, clearly annoyed. Everyone else, however, was positively stunned as they looked at him with star-struck eyes. Izuku saw a familiar face among them: that being Shoto Todoroki, who gave a small smile as he bowed his head in acknowledgement.

The green haired boy nodded back in response. Although, he was getting nervous from everyone's eyes trained on him.

How could they not? After all, he scored first place with 23 Villain points and 75 Rescue points. Rather than focus on taking out the faux-villains, he went and helped as many people as he could like a true hero.

However, Izuku was on the verge of a breakdown from all of this attention, until a pair of reassuring hands rested on his shoulders.

"Just relax, will ya, Mido-kun?"

"Yeah, seriously." John chuckled. "You look ready to fall apart."

"Ah! I knew I recognized that mess of hair!" Izuku's face turned pink as he turned around. Behind him was the girl he saved back from the test, Ochako Uraraka. "It's you! I saw your score!" She clasped her hands, smiling widely. Somehow, that smile turned Izuku to melting butter. His heart was hammering against his heart. W-what was this feeling?! "I'm sorry I didn't get to introduce myself earlier! My name is Ochako! It's very nice to meet you properly, Izuku Midoriya-kun!"

"N-N-N-Nice to m-meet you t-too!" Izuku stammered out while he bowed. If he hadn't felt anxious before, he most definitely was now. He was actually talking to a girl that wasn't Seraphina!

John and Seraphina looked at one another, vastly amused. That being said, they were sort of feeling a bit left out. Iida, however, had taken notice of the two, looking at them curiously. "Beg pardon, but would you two happen to be the ones who tied in second place?"

"Yep." Seraphina nodded. "Sorry for calling you out back then."

"No no. You had every right." the mannered boy replied, shaking his head. "I should have known that everyone else would have been equally as stressed, given what that day was."

Just as the class had erupted into a mild festivity, a single, monotone voice cut through it like a knife. "If you came here to talk, leave. This place is for heroes, not kids."

The five standing by the door turned and looked to the other side of the hallway...finding a man lying on his side while bundled up in a sleeping bag with only his face visible. He appaeared a tad shabby-looking, with black, unruly hair, tired eyes, and an unshaven face.

Immediately, everyone thought, _'WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!'_

"My name is Shouta Aizawa." the man said with a bland tone, but keeping his eyes on everyone. "I'll be your homeroom teacher for this year."

He pulled out a juice pouch and sucked up its contents in one go.

 _'THIS GUY IS OUR HOMEROOM TEACHER?!'_ Came the collective thoughts of all the students once more.

It was hard to believe. Almost all the teachers at this school were fairly well-known heroes. Present Mic being one of them. However, the man in front of them was unrecognizable. Unfamiliar. Izuku certainly didn't recognize him as any hero, either, and he knew just about every active hero in Japan. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen this person before.

Seraphina recognized him easily and frowned. _'Crap...of all the people...'_

* * *

"Ah, damn...! Those kids have the worst luck!" Yagi cried, palming his face as he looked at the class roster for 1-A, the class Izuku, John and Seraphina were apart of. Naturally, the roster also involved the homeroom teacher. One he didn't exactly have the best relationship with. "Having _Aizawa_ for their homeroom teacher!"

Shouta Aizawa. Also known as the Underground Pro Hero: Eraserhead. He was particularly known regarding his anti-media coverage. He didn't like the spotlight, taking on a more 'from the shadows' route. As a result, many actions and praises went to other heroes rather than him, despite being a contributing factor to their success. This, of course, sparked some respect from the man who was the Symbol of Peace, but there was one thing about Aizawa that most certainly rubbed Yagi the wrong way.

On one occasion, he expelled an entire Freshman class. His reason? Lack of potential.

It was utterly ridiculous, to expel an entire class of aspiring heroes for a reason such as that? Well, Yahi could understand a bit where Aizawa was coming from. The world of Heroics was dangerous, and if you didn't have the ability, then you could fail or get hurt...or worse.

Still, he is just so excessive at times. One or two students could be understandable, but an entire class?

Yagi shook his head. He truly hoped that his apprentice, niece, John, and their classmates can overcome this obstacle.

"Normally, you wouldn't be able to pull crap like this, but Yuuei is a whole other ball game." Yagi muttered, looking out the window. "You better be careful, Young Midoriya... This is one challenge that just might end you early."

* * *

 _"A QUIRK ASSESSMENT?!"_

The class stood outside, dressed in matching blue, white and red gym uniforms. Aizawa himself was wearing black baggy clothes and a white scarf around his neck. He was definitely more shabby looking compared to earlier.

"You heard me." Aizawa spoke flatly. "We could go with orientation, but if you ask me, it's a waste of time."

"E-h?" Ochako frowned, twiddling her thumbs. "B-but isn't orientation important? Along with Quirk counselling?"

The teacher shook his head. "Unlike other high schools, Yuuei is known for their "freeform teaching" method." Everyone looked on, confused. "Don't think for a moment that this is like other schools. Here, normalcy doesn't apply. That also goes for the teachers."

The students stood attentive as Aizawa explained the workings of the assessment.

"Right now, you're all going to be tested on your physical abilities with your Quirks. The events you'll be participating in are softball throwing, standing long-jump, 50-meter dash, endurance running, grip strength, side-to-side stepping, upper body assessment and seated toe touch."

Eijirou frowned. "Wait, but...that's the stuff we did back in Junior High." he pointed out. "What does that have to do with our Quirk?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Aizawa said before setting his sights on Izuku, who straightened up. "Midoriya. How far was your best pitch?"

"E-eh? Um...s-sixty-two meters, I think. Maybe a little under fifty?"

"Alright, then." The shabby teacher tossed the softball in his hand to the meek teen, who caught it in his hand. He stared at it in confusion before looking at Aizawa, who had his thumb at the circle behind him. "Don't care what you do, but keep your body inside the circle at all times. Also, use your Quirk. No half-assing it. Understand?"

 _'Use...my Quirk?'_ Izuku thought before it struck him. _'Oh, I get it now...so that's what he meant by Quirk Assessment! In school, we weren't allowed to use our Quirks, but Yuuei's different. These tests...they're to see how powerful our Quirks are, and how much we understand their limits and abilities.'_ Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and stood in the circle. _'Okay, anything between 1 and 3% doesn't damage my arm too seriously. Anything past 5% might cause me to pull several muscles. And past 10% will break my bones.'_

Katsuki scoffed. "Use his Quirk?" he said before raising his voice. "Yo, teach! Don't think you know, but Deku over there is Quirkless!"

Ochako cocked her head curiously. "Deku?" she inquired. "Is that a nickname or something?"

"Sort of." Seraphina explained. "It's what Baka-go called him when we were kids. In case you didn't know, he's a bully."

Eijirou folded his arms, staring at Katsuki funny. "What are you talking about, dude?" he asked, confused. "Quirkless? You obviously weren't there when he took down that zero-pointer!"

"You forget, Kirishima." Shoto reminded him. "You, myself and Iida aided him."

"True, but he did take it down in the end." A pause. "Wait, does that mean we're sidekicks?!"

Iida's glasses fogged up. "How in the world did you come to THAT conclusion?"

Katsuki frowned heavily, staring at the three in confusion. _'Deku took out a zero-pointer?'_ he thought, refusing to believe it. _'No way. Impossible. There's no way a little shit like Deku could...'_

 _ **"I earned my spot there. It's always been my dream to go to Yuuei...and become a hero! Now that I finally have that chance, Kacchan, I...I won't let you stop me!"**_

Izuku's bold words when he cornered him the day after the results came in came back to mind. He rubbed his wrist, seeds of doubt starting to grow. He could have sworn that Izuku's grip back then had become much stronger. His wrist was practically creaking underneath the pressure. That was just raw physical strength, right? There's no way it could have been a Quirk, right? Deku was Quirkless!

...right?

Aizawa, meanwhile, stared at Izuku with half-lidded eyes. To everyone else, he looked completely disinterested and wanted to get this over with. In truth, however, there was a keen interest in those eyes. An interest in the person who had caught all pro heroes' attention back during the Entrance Exam.

 _'Izuku Midoriya. Age, 15. The successor to All Might. He was originally Quirkless, but in a span of ten months, he trained his body to handle the man's Quirk. In the remainder, he trained to control it. At best, he can use maybe 0.7...no, 1 percent without causing himself some serious damage.'_ He thought back to the Zero Pointer, where he utterly destroyed it with a single punch at the expense of his arm being severely injured. _'Through the test, he demonstrated some impressive control...but I wonder how much you really understand.'_

He shook his head. In his personal opinion, giving Izuku Midoriya such a high rating and placing him at first place was a mistake. Yes, his actions would have definitely secured his place here, but for heaven's sake, self-sacrifice with limited potential in the payoff meant nothing. Had that been a real-life scenario and the threat made much worse, the boy would have doomed himself to failure with that one act.

He needed to make a point. If Midoriya was insistent that he continue that trend of breaking his arm, he would step in. If the boy showed restraint, then he would re-evaluate his stance.

Izuku, meanwhile, stared at the softball in his hand, closing his eyes.

* * *

(Flashback)

"I saw what you did back at the Entrance Exam, kids." Yagi grinned as he looked at the three proudly, hands on his hips. "Excellent work."

"E-eh?! You saw all that?" Izuku stuttered. "D-does that mean you were one of the judges, All Might?!"

"What?! Hell no! I was just an observer. Speaking of which, Young Midoriya..." The thin hero narrowed his eyes. "I have to hand it to you. Your control over your power has certainly improved, though it obviously needs some work."

"I know..." Izuku looked down. "I was able to use 1 percent without much strain, but anything beyond that would end up hurting myself. I can't even use anything past 10 percent without fracturing my bones."

"Maybe. But, there are ways of handling the full brunt without taking any serious risks." Izuku blinked. Yagi laughed. "What? Don't look so surprised! You were practically using that method earlier, pumping the Quirk through your arms and legs while running at top speed. You don't have purely focus One For All into your body all at once."

"Oh yeah..." He then realized what he was talking about. the method that John and Seraphina told him about. On using One for All throughout his body instead of a single limb.

"By using the Quirk with your whole body or multiple parts, it makes fighting all the more efficient. However, that isn't to say concentrating it in a single point can't work either."

(Flashback End)

* * *

 _'Single point...'_

Izuku opened his eyes. He sucked in a deep breath, pulling his arm back. Then he threw his arm, red veins forming along his arm. However, they didn't cover it completely. Instead, they ran down like a circuit, soon wrapping around his index finger. The ball was coming loose from his hand. In a moment, it would be sent flying.

 _'Now! Delaware-!'_

 _ **"-SMASH!"**_

The ball came off the tip of his index finger. In the next, a shockwave powerful enough to kick up the dust on the ground blew through everyone.

The ball kept going and going until it flew out of sight.

Meanwhile, Izuku cradled his sore finger. While it wasn't broken, channeling One for All like that sprained it for a bit. But fortunately, he was still able to move it. He curled his hand, clenching it tightly into a fist while biting his lip. There were tears in his eyes. It hurt. It hurt like hell. But compared to the full force of One For All, the pain was insignificant.

"How...w-was that, Aizawa-sensei?"

The teacher looked at his phone which had the distance measuring app open. The number read 612.5 meters. Not bad, considering he was doing his best not to blow himself up.

He was actually quite impressed. To think he'd actually manage to go all out like that. Admittedly, his score would be even better if he had used his whole arm...but this was doable. A grin formed on his face. "Well done." He then turned to the class, showing Izuku's score. Naturally, they were all surprised by what they found. "In school, you weren't allowed to use your Quirks freely. However, Yuuei isn't like that. This is the department of heroics. This assessment is test not only yourself, but the limits of your Quirk. Understand?"

"O-over six h-hundred meters?" one kid with purple hair oddly resembling grapes whispered in shock. "I-is that even possible?!"

"God damn!" Eijirou grinned. "That's insane!"

"No way!" a pink-skinned girl with antenna sticking out of her hair said excitedly, clapping her hands. "That is so cool!"

A yellow-haired teen with black streaks grinned excitedly, sparks dancing around his hands. "That sounds freaking awesome!" he said, slamming his fist into his hands. "This'll be fun!"

Aizawa's eyebrow twitched. Of course, the stupidity of children. They were young, so they didn't understand. He couldn't fault them for that. Even so, he felt irritated. What part of heroics was fun? People's lives would be at risk in this kind of work. Thinking of training like this as fun was like an insult to the Pro Hero. Were they truly this naive?

Meanwhile, Katsuki's face was set into varying emotions. Shock. Disbelief. Confusion.

"W-what...what the hell was that?!" he whispered, eyes threatening to pop out from their sockets.

 _'This can't be possible! Quirks are supposed to manifest between kindergarten and the third grade! There are cases of late bloomers, but those're at the fifth grade! Sixth at the latest!'_

Izuku had NEVER shown any signs of developing a Quirk before. Not a single show of it. He had always been the weakling that Katsuki had demoralized because of their difference. A Quirkless, spouting how he wanted to be a hero? So stupid.

And yet...and yet...!

 _'Deku has a Quirk.'_ his brain recognized. _'Deku. The Quirkless little shit. Has a. Mother._ _ **Fucking. Quirk.'**_

Soon, all of his confusion faded and gave way to white-hot rage. Small sparks and explosions began to blow apart in his hands, which began to twitch madly. Veins bulged across his face, fangs bared.

"D-Deku...!" Katsuki seethed, causing Izuku to freeze up and turn, face paling when he saw the absolute rage on his childhood friend's face. Seraphina and John recognized what he was about to do, but before they could stop him, he was already moving, hand stretched out to grab Izuku and blow him into bloody bits. "You fucking shit! How long?! How long were you playing me for a fool?!"

"W-wait, Kacchan-!"

"Deku, you little bastard! Di-!"

Before he could get within a meter of Izuku's personal space, white strips suddenly lashed out, wrapping around Katsuki's body and binding him in place.

"What the hell?!" Katsuki gawked as he tried to break free from his bindings.

"It's not use trying to break them." Aizawa told him as he kept a tight grip on the wrappings. Everyone turned to look at their teacher. His hair was somehow flowing upwards, and his eyes were now fully open, revealing irritated red eyes in full. "These wrappings are meant to bind even the most unruly of brats. Don't bother trying to use your Quirk, either. I've already erased it."

"E-Erase our Quirks?! B-But how...?" Izuku questioned, his pain momentarily forgotten. It was then he recalled the information about a Hero from one of his notebooks. A Hero that can erase Quirks.

His eyes widened in recognition. "Y-You're the Pro Hero Eraser Head!"

The name was obviously foreign to most of the students. They didn't quite understand who the man was, save for a few who had. Seraphina, given who her honorary uncle was, had long since recognized Aizawa. If anyone knew him best, it was her.

Katsuki growled, trying to escape. His Quirk flared, but no matter how much he willed or pushed it, his sweat never popped and blew. No tiny explosions rearing their ugly heads. When that failed, he tried brute force. Damn bindings didn't budge. Instead, he could only settle for aiming a death glare at Izuku, who flinched and recoiled as if struck. The anger and intensity in those red orbs was fierce, as if he was trying to make Izuku explode just by looking at him.

Aizawa was even more annoyed. "Hey, brat." he said, glaring at the blonde. "Would you mind knocking it off with the temper tantrum? Using this Quirk really is bad for my eyes." Everyone sweatdropped, unable to help but think how that disadvantage was so bad. Katsuki was still thrashing, but he eventually stopped and went still. Aizawa then removed his wrappings, looking at Izuku and making him move away, giving Katsuki an unsure glance. He then turned back to the class. "Using your Quirks is normally forbidden in these sorts of test because of how the education system works. All of these tests, in your school, forbid you from that. Because they're general education. Yuuei, however, is a school were you either become a hero or go home your average student."

His eyes narrowed.

"Also, let me make one thing clear: we aren't here to play games. That's why... The student with the lowest score and ability... _will be removed from the Hero Course_."

Izuku's body went rigid. Everyone was stunned by what they heard. For a moment, they were hoping that their teacher was joking. Aizawa's grim face, however, was not showing the slightest bit of weakness. This man meant what he said.

That terrified them.

"W-whoa, hold on a second!" a girl with ear phone jacks for ear lobes cried in dismay. "T-that isn't fair! This is only the first day of school! A lot of us worked really hard to get into the Hero Course!"

The shabby Pro Hero pushed up his bangs, giving everyone a look at the seriousness in his eyes. "I think I should be asking you all what makes you think you're worthy of being here." he said, making everyone look on confused. "Other than villains, there are other kinds of situations the heroes go through. Highway disasters. Natural disasters. In and out of Japan, there's all sorts of dangers that can show up at any time. Each and every day, heroes combat these dangers. If you thought this would be easy, then you can walk out of here and leave the Hero Course this instant. Drop out altogether if you'd like. For the next three yours, you'll be put through the wringer. Don't expect any mercy from us teachers whatsoever. If you want to survive, then..."

A fanged smirk touched his face. His next words lit a spark in a few students, the proud heroes in the making who understood those words.

"Go beyond your limits. Plus Ultra style."

The words of All Might.

While Aizawa's statements served to dampen the students' morale, these words sparked hope in them once more. Fiery determination lit up in their eyes.

The other students however, were still unsure about this phenomenon, but they weren't willing to give up. Not after they came so far.

John on the other hand, remained neutral about these circumstances. He didn't desire to be a Hero. But then again, if he was kicked out of the Hero course, then he wouldn't be in the same class as his friends. He sighed, scratching the back of his head. What a troublesome situation he found himself in.

"With that said...does anyone want to leave?" No one raised their hands. Aizawa's smile curved slightly. "Good. Then let's begin."

* * *

 **[Test 1: 50-Meter-Dash]**

* * *

The students broke up into pairs and lined up at the starting line. The first pair were, much to John and Sera's chagrin and worry, Izuku and Katsuki.

The explosive teen still looked positively pissed about Izuku possessing a quirk. Even now, he was sending the green-haired boy death glares. He didn't act on his impulse to blow him to smithereens, though, as he knew Aizawa would interfere. He scowled and turned his head away, fingers twitching.

"Ready." Aizawa called. "Set."

Small explosions danced in his palm. Izuku took a deep breath, red veins running down his legs. Cracks began to form beneath his feet. This was only 1.5 percent of One For All, but it should be all he needed to get a decent score for this part of the test.

"Go."

Izuku and Katsuki took off at the same time. The latter was propelled by his explosions, bouncing forward. Izuku was behind him by just a few centimeters, small imprints left in his wake. In a matter of seconds, they passed the mark and came to a stop. The machine at the finish line beeped.

"Katsuki Bakugo: 4.15 seconds." it called. "Izuku Midoriya: 4.56 seconds."

"That isn't too bad, I suppose." Iida remarked, pushing up his glasses. His eyes fell into concern, however, when Katsuki glared at Izuku again, who did his best to ignore it and returned to his spot in the line. "Good grief. That Bakugo needs to reign in his temper. Still, I'm confused. Why did he think that Midoriya-san was Quirkless?"

"Izuku was a late bloomer." Seraphina said hastily, providing some form of explanation. "He also didn't have great control over his Quirk at first. So he kept his powers secret from Baka-go and trained to control his Quirk better."

"Ah, I see."

"Next. Shoto Todoroki and Remi Sahashima."

Seraphina blinked. Her gaze was drawn toward the pink, long haired girl who all by but skipped to the starting line, right next to a neutral Shoto. What was she doing here? More importantly, how in the hell did she not notice her here? She took a quick glance among the students. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw another familiar face. It was a girl around her age with long, gray hair, pale brown eyes and, much to Seraphina's chagrin, quite a noticeable bust.

At first, she didn't recognize her. The last time they had met was back when Seraphina still participated in turf wars before she met John.

Her name was Rein Arrent, the Queen of Aihashi Private Prep School.

 _'Remi is one thing, but Rein?'_ she thought in shock. Then a thought occured to her, one that brought a grimace. _'If Remi is here, then...does that mean they're here too?'_

"On your marks. Get set. Go."

Seraphina's thoughts came up short when a blast of cold air and sparks lit up the field. Remi was blitzing straight through the course while Todoroki came up from behind her, using the same strategy as Katsuki, though his was far stronger. Katsuki was increasing his speed through a burst of explosions at set intervals, wherein contrast the scarred teen was continuously gaining speed through a single burst, nonstop.

Of course, no matter how fast he went, it couldn't hold up to Remi's speed.

"Remi Sahashima: 3.29 seconds. Shoto Todoroki: 3.48 seconds."

Todoroki scowled a bit. "Damn." he muttered. "Was I not using enough power?"

"No, you were." Remi told him, smiling at him as she lightly tapped his nose, much to his surprise. "My Lightning is just faster than your ice is all~"

The foreign blonde smiled thinly as he rubbed his chin. "Now that was beautiful. C'est magnifique~!"

"Hot damn!" a fellow blonde with black streaks in his hair said boisterously. "Didn't know there was another thunder user in this class!"

"Hold on." a pony-tailed girl said, eyes widening. Seraphina gave a small look at her and then looked back at her own chest. Dammit, that made three girls in this class who were bigger than her. "Sahashima? As in, Rei Sahashima? X-Static?"

"That's right~" Remi chirped while holding a victory sign. "He's my big brother!"

Everyone was naturally surprised, including John. He knew the name Sahashima sounded familiar, but he never expected to be in the same class as the sibling of a Pro Hero. He then took notice of the shirt she wore underneath her jacket, which was left open. It was an X-Static shirt, obviously, since it had the man himself printed on it out in plain view with a crosshair behind him and a comical tagline that read "ELECTRIFY! ! !"

 _'Huh.'_ John realized the purpose behind their shopping trip way back when all those months ago. _'So Sera was shopping for her?'_

"No way! A Pro's sister?! Here?!"

Seraphina sighed, shaking her head as she smiled wistfully. "You never could resist bringing attention to yourself, could you, Remi?" she asked as the pink-haired girl skipped over back to the line.

"Long time no see, Sera!" Remi greeted as she pouted. "Mou~ You're so mean! You could have at least told me you were applying to Yuuei!"

"Sorry."

"Apologize to me with ice cream. Then we'll talk!"

John sweat-dropped, as had the rest of the class. _'She's certainly care-free, isn't she?'_

* * *

 **[Test 2: Grip Strength]**

* * *

After everyone had a chance to race, they moved onto the next test. Here they tested their grip strength using a handheld machine. Depending how hard the participant grips, a number displaying the amount of force applied will show. Unlike before, were everyone took turns, they were acting independently from one another. They were allowed three tries before they had to set the grips down and accept their highest score.

Izuku looked at the grip with some disappointment, especially when he compared it to the scores of the other students. Not far away from him was a large burly teen with six arms instead of two, who scored somewhere between 2 to 3 hundred on the grip. Without smashing his hand into bits, Izuku could only sigh.

The grip read: 146.

It was a decent enough score, only lower than what he hoped to reach. But any higher, and he probably would've injured his hand further, preventing him from performing well in the later tests. He had to pace himself.

He looked over to where John and Seraphina stood with their machines. Both had gotten ridiculously high scores, if the attention they garnered was any indication.

"N-no way!" The streaked blonde stammered. "How could you guys get over 400 on those things?!"

"Well, that's Sera for you. Blowing everyone out of the water." Remi giggled.

"Doesn't make it any better!" Kirishima shouted. "I mean, dude! That arm strength is insane!"

John's arms were wreathed in black miasma, signifying the use of his Quirk. It wasn't one that he had seen before, but if the reactions he received was any indication, it definitely wasn't merely for show.

And yet, unlike everyone else who was easily excited, he had the same bored expression on his face. It was like the whole thing was a chore to him. Understandable, since he never had any real interest in the Hero Course. Even so, he could show maybe a bit of excitement. Shrugging, the raven haired male set aside his machine and went to record his score, his expression remaining indifferent. Aizawa noticed this and his eyes narrowed in thought. Seraphina did the same.

* * *

 **[Test 3: Standing Long Jump]**

* * *

This test was to determine how far the student can jump through the use of their Quirk. Like before, there were those who blew the others out of the water.

Such as when it came to Rein's turn.

The girl backed up to get a head start. She then took off into a sprint towards the jump line. However, just before her feet left the ground, blue spider legs instantly grew from her back and slammed into the ground behind her, providing a massive boost to her kickoff. Her body soared straight through the air before gravity pulled her back down. By then, she was already several meters away from where the robot was to measure the distance.

"Energy-based insect legs?" Izuku hummed, his mind already clicking and whirring while he scrutinized over the woman's Quirk. "So it's like having an extra set of limbs, but how do they stay corporeal? Moreover, since they're not always present, that means she has to adjust to them. Does that mean she has to adjust to having four new limbs?" From there, the class watched in slight disturb and confusion as a long-winded rant and analysis began to spill from his mouth. While some were impressed by his deep intellect, they couldn't help but feel awkward.

Seraphina whistled. "She's gotten better." she remarked. "Guess she took her loss against Arlo pretty hard."

John frowned. "Arlo?" he asked. "Who's that?"

"Someone I fought with back during my turf war days. He went to the same school as Remi. He's also the King." she explained with a sour face. There was obvious disdain in her voice, meaning that whoever Arlo was, she wasn't fond of him. "And he's also an ass."

Well, wasn't she awfully blunt? Then again, it was a clear sign that she must not really like him very much.

"So, that would make him Asslo then?" John asked with a small grin.

His best friend stared at him for a moment before burst out giggling. That description had never been so perfect. If anything, it accurately described her thoughts on the matter.

The moment came to an end, however, when Todoroki went next. Rather than simply using his power for a boost, he created a gigantic ice ramp that gave him extra distance. As a result of his Quirk, a chill came over them due to the drop in temperature. The next to go was Katsuki, who took a running leap and kept himself suspended in the air through the use of his explosions. One classmate had used the impressive tail-like appendage from his waist to give him a boost. Come Seraphina's turn, she used her own strength enhancement to leap across the pit, surpassing Rein and Todoroki's mark by a few meters. Then John went. He went for a similar approach that Todoroki did, using Cementoss' Quirk to provide a ramp where he proceeded to jump off of for added distance.

The students who were unaware of his Quirk's true nature stared at amazement, as his Quirk was different than what they have seen in the previous tests. To some, they recognized it as being similar to Cementoss'.

Katsuki, though still a foul mood still, couldn't repress his toothy grin at the sight.

John was finally using it. His Quirk. He was using it to the fullest extent. The Explosion Quirk user balled his fists in anticipation. Soon he will make good of his promise and finally beat John.

* * *

 _ **"Do you know why you lost, Bakugo? It's because...you'll never beat me. No one at my school can even touch me. What makes you think you can?"**_

* * *

His mind raced back to that moment. The day when he lost. To John. His first ever true loss.

When his mother heard about it, she tried to tell him to learn from this mistake and grow stronger. When his father heard, he tried to console him. When Izuku heard it, he tried to cheer him up. When his so-called friends heard, they tried to tell him to forget about the whole thing. But Katsuki couldn't listen. He refused to. The moment he lost to John, he had felt something so primal, so raw he couldn't quite comprehend it. He's felt it before, but never to such extent.

Katsuki had believed in one thing. That heroes would always win. That no matter the adversary, they would never lose, not even to the strongest of villains. Look at All Might. Look at the Symbol of Peace. He was the epitome of victory. In all of his career, he has never lost a single battle. That was why he would continue to grow stronger. So that, no matter what, he would never lose. That he would be forever strong and be undefeated. because a true hero would never lose.

John, however, shattered ideal completely. He defeated him. No, worse than that. He utterly **DESTROYED** Katsuki!

And that filled him with both anger...and excitement.

While he was initially frustrated that he lost, a new thought occurred to him. If he lost now, then that meant he wasn't strong enough. That there was still room for improvement. That had been years ago. And here they were now, at Yuuei Academy.

He now had a chance to beat John and prove himself to be stronger. Strong enough that he will never lose again. He would surpass John at his best and stand on top.

And unlike before...he wasn't about to lose.

But, before any of that, there was another matter that concerned him. His eyes shifted and narrowed dangerously at Izuku, who watched as Iida went up next, using his legs to gain speed and then leap high into the air, exhaust spilling out of the pipes and providing further acceleration.

Before he could think about going after John... _he was going to have to deal with that annoying shitstain that was Deku!_

* * *

 **[Test 4: Side-to-Side Stepping]**

* * *

Unlike earlier tests, this one was rather easy in comparison. A few people had to be rather inventive with their quirks, though it was obvious that someone was in their element. Namely, a short boy with grape-like hair. As it turned out, he could detach large clumps of his hair and then stick them together. They appeared to be quite sticky since they stuck so tightly together like glue. He performed the test, bouncing back and forth between two large clumps made from the stuff, before the timer went off.

Wiping the sweat off of his forehead, he stepped aside and then turned to the class. More specifically, he turned to the female students. "Well? What did you all think? Wasn't I amazing?"

The class sweatdropped at his brazen attempt at flirting. Aizawa rolled his eyes. "Mineta." he called, causing the boy to squeak. "Step aside and let the rest of the class participate. We don't have time for your flirting."

When it was Katsuki's turn, he used the same method as per usual. He bounced back and forth, using his explosions to recoil his body back and forth into a series of side-steps. Seraphina's excellent control of strength and speed let her pratcically breeze through the whole thing, moving just as quickly as the grape kid had. John employed the same method as Katsuki, though he instead use Backdraft's Quirk to use bursts of water to bounce back and forth in place. Izuku had a hard time, scoring lower than everyone else, though he thankfully wasn't the one with the lowest score.

* * *

 **[Test 5: Softball Throw]**

* * *

As Izuku had been the first one to attempt this, he was naturally excluded. Everyone else had one shot. The first to go up was John, who used Death Arms' Quirk for an added boost. For good measure, he also employed Kamui Woods' Quirk as well. The combo wasn't exactly strong, compared to his other mix-and-match usage of Quirks, courtesy of Wild Card's nature, but he wasn't exactly aiming for an unbeatable score. As his arm turned to Bark, enhanced by super strength, he spun around on his heel while his elongated wood limb trailed behind him. With a twist and pitch, the ball was sent flying.

It took several seconds before the machine announced his score. "John Doe: 707.4 meters."

"Whoa! That scores even higher than Izuku's!" Kirishima exclaimed in awe.

Seraphina was next. She gave the ball a light toss, bouncing it in her hand before she closed her eyes. A small smirk touched her face as she reared her arm back. As she threw it, sparks danced around her body.

The ball left her hand...but it remained standing in the air.

No one was moving. No one breathed. They were all motionless. Faces frozen in place.

"Sensei did say we were allowed to do whatever, so long as we're in the circle." she remarked before she grinned, tapping her foot against the floor. "In that case-!"

She tucked her leg inward before straightening it into a single arrow-like strike, heel slamming straight into the ball. It budged slightly, but it didn't move any further than that. She smiled and then left the circle, letting her Quirk cease its hold on time. Naturally, when time resumed, everyone was stunned to see Seraphina already back in line while the ball was out of sight. Aizawa seemed a bit curious before he looked at the machine, which blipped.

"Seraphina Kruez: 859.3 meters."

If the students weren't gawking before, they definitely were now. She scored 150 meters higher than John did!

"You know, we should've made a bet on who would get the farther distance." Seraphina said, joining John with a grin. "I would've won."

"I'm glad we didn't, cuz my wallet would be crying." John commented blandly.

The next to go was Katsuki. His go was...interesting, to say the least.

 _ **"DIIIIIIIE!"**_

He mustered the strongest explosion he could, sending the ball flying. Smoke trailed behind it, no doubt singed and burnt beyond belief. The machine blipped seconds later. "Katsuki Bakugo: 704.4 meters."

The blonde scowled. His score was below Seraphina and John's. He should have made his palms more sweaty. Eh. Oh well. At least his score was higher than Izuku's, so he supposed that was a plus.

Everyone else sweatdropped. _'Die?_ '

The next person to go was Ochako. What happened next completely blew everyone's minds. She used her Quirk on the ball and flung it forward. It flew and kept rising and rising and rising...

Aizawa's phone beeped. "Ochako Uraraka: Infinity."

Everyone's jaw dropped.

"I-Infinity?!" Iida cried, glasses nearly dropping from his face. "How in the world is that possible?!"

"Her Quirk...it nullifies gravity." Rein murmured, folding her arms beneath her ample bosom. "That's pretty handy."

The girl with the ponytail nodded in agreement. Ochako, meanwhile, blushed heavily from all the attention she was receiving. She honestly didn't think what she did was anything special.

* * *

 **[Test 6: Seated Sit-Ups]**

* * *

By this point, everyone had pretty much passed this test based on physical strength alone. Izuku, having done ten months worth of body-building, had succeeded and pushed his body to the utmost limit. The only people who really seemed to struggle with the test was the grape kid, a girl who's physical body was completely invisible save for her clothes, and Ochako, though this was because they lacked in physical strength.

"C-can't...go on..." the grape kid wheezed, face pale and body shaking. "D-demon...oni...!"

Aizawa rolled his eyes. "Good grief..."

* * *

 **[Test 7: Endurance Run]**

* * *

Like the previous test, this one reflected each student's physical ability. Those that were fit had the stamina to last the run while others who lacked physical ability stopped not long after the test started, namely the grape kid.

It's been well over ten minutes since the run, but Izuku, John, Seraphina, and a few others were still running. The others who dropped out due to exhaustion sat next to the track.

At the head were Izuku, Todoroki and John and Seraphina. Behind them, lagging a bit, was Remi and Rein. Of course, with them was Katsuki, who was dripping with sweat and popping small explosions across his body to keep himself moving.

After the 11th minute mark, Aizawa blew on the whistle. "Alright, that's enough." he called, causing everyone to stop. "Congratulations. Your tests are over."

"Oh thank god..." the grape kid huffed as he stood up.

Class 1-A then gathered around Aizawa, who looked quite bored. He obviously wanted to get this over and done with. However, a few particularly keen individuals noticed something different about the man. Namely, the sharpness that laid beneath those otherwise tired and bland eyes. There was even a tiny hint of excitement and surprise.

"These are your test results for your Quirk Apprehension Test." Aizawa said as he fiddled with his phone. In the next moment, a holographic screen came up next to him, which had everyone listed in two columns, a number on the right side of their names. "The students will be ranked by their scores, the top with the highest scores."

Izuku looked for his name nervously. His palms were riddled with sweat. After a few seconds, he eventually sighed in relief.

[Shoto Todoroki - 1st Place]

[Seraphina Kruez - 2nd Place]

[John Doe - 3rd Place]

[Katsuki Bakugo - 4rth Place]

[Rein Arrent - 5th Place]

...

[Izuku Midoriya - 11th Place]

[Tenya Iida - 12th Place]

[Eijirou Kirishima - 13th Place]

[Ochako Uraraka - 15th Place]

...

[Minoru Mineta - 23rd Place]

[Toru Hagakure - 24th Place]

Unseen by anyone, the invisible girl began to sweat profusely, seeing her score. The grape kid was equally as terrified, looking at Aizawa as if he were the yama. For them, his otherwise neutral expression was now one of sadistic glee and terror. "These scores will count towards your overall grades." he explained. "If you're dissatisfied with your results, then try harder the next time you participate in a Quirk Apprehension Test."

"A-and what about the student with the lowest score?" Ochako asked, fiddling with her index fingers. "What about them?"

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "Oh, that?" he shrugged. "I lied."

The class fell into silence for a good minute before they all face-planted, completely taken aback by the otherwise absurdity and intensity of the atmosphere the man brought about earlier at the beginning of the whole thing. A good majority felt as if they had just been played for a fool while a few, such as the ponytailed girl and Rein, thought it was now quite obvious that he was lying. If they thought their futures in the Hero Course were on the line, they would naturally try their hardest.

"That will be all for today." the teacher said as he turned around, taking his leave. "Change back to your uniforms and head on back to class. We'll hold a makeshift orientation. Afterwards, you're to attend your scheduled classes for the day."

"Whew...that was pretty nerve wracking..." Izuku sighed as he plopped down on his rear.

"Well, I'm just glad that's over with..." John stretched his arms above his head. "We're all still in the same class. So that's all that matters, right?"

"Y-yeah..."

Iida sighed. "Lying like that in order to get us motivated." he muttered tiredly, pushing up his glasses. "The Hero Course of Yuuei Academy is a fierce one indeed!"

"Got that right." Eijirou nodded before looking at Todoroki. "But damn, man! You're pretty cool yourself. Er, no pun intended, of course."

The white-and-red-haired teen waved a hand in dismissal. "It's fine."

"Hey, I just got an idea!" The red-haired teen jumped up to his feet, grinning as he looked at the class. "Why don't we all introduce each other and our Quirks? Since we're going to be classmates and all!"

Katsuki scoffed. "Why the hell would we do that?" he asked. "You an idiot or something?"

"Aw, don't be such a downer, Baka-go!"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" the blonde roared, a tick mark pulsating above his forehead.

Seraphina giggled. "But why?" she teased. "It suits you."

"Fuck you, Seraphina!"

"I think it's a great idea!" the pink girl said, bouncing. "I'll go first, then! My name is Mina Ashido! My quirk, Acid, lets me secrete acidic substances! How acidic it is is up to me!"

Eijirou smiled widely, seeing someone getting the ball rolling. "And I'm Eijirou Kirishima! My Quirk, Hardening, let's me turn these manly muscles into sharp weapons!" For emphasis, he activated his Quirk, which caused his skin to turn rock-solid and his fingers to join together, forming into sharp, jagged claws.

"I guess I'm next, then?" the foreign boy smiled, swishing his hair. "I'm Yuga Aoyama. My Quirk is called Naval Laser. I can shoot an energy beam from by belly-button! Though using it too much gives me a tummy ache."

"What are you? Like five?" the other blonde said before shaking his head, smirking as he waved a hand at everyone. "The name's Denki Kaminari. My Quirk is called Electrification. I can release an electrical discharge from pretty much anywhere from my body. Though I can only handle a certain voltage. Any higher, and well..." He trailed off, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "I kinda turn brain-dead?"

"I'm Kyoka Jiro." the girl with the earphone jokes for earlobes went next. "My Quirk is called Earphone Jack. It basically lets me transfer my heartbeats into anything I stick 'em into."

"I am Tenya Iida." Iida greeted everyone properly, bowing. "And my Quirk is known as Engine. As you all saw earlier in the tests, it lets me run even faster. Unfortunately, it uses orange juice as fuel. Anything carbonated and my pipes get clogged up."

"I'm Ochako Uraraka!" Ochako went next, smiling brightly. "My Quirk is Zero Gravity! I think it kind of speaks for itself~ I can remove the gravitational field of anything I touch, and send it flying upward. If I use it too much or on myself, though, I tend to throw up."

"I'm Tsuyu Asui, ribbit." the frog girl said, waving her hand. "My Quirk is called Frog. It basically lets me do all the things a frog can. Ribbit."

"And I'm Toru Hagakure!" the invisible girl introduced herself. "My Quirk is, as you all can guess, invisibility. I can turn myself invisible, but...I haven't really found a way to turn it off."

"Me next, me next!" Remi hopped up and down with a raised hand, noticing the depressing atmosphere the situation was taking following Toru's explanation of her Quirk. "My name is Remi Sahashima! My Quirk is Lightning. I can also use electricity to take people, shoot it like a lightning bolt, or internally charge myself to bolster my physical abilities and reaction time. But if I overuse it externally, then I risk having my biological functions like muscle contraction and neural activity falling under safe levels." This revelation shocked the others. Essentially, her Quirk had the risk of her actually dying. "But I can replenish myself with electrolytes from sports drinks, vitamins, or even electrical sockets! Oh, and I like ice cream!"

"O...kay then." Rein sweat dropped at the explanation. "My name is Rein Arrent. My Quirk is Arachnid. As you saw earlier, I can create energy based spider legs from my back. They're pretty useful to move around with, and I can use them to attack and defend. But if I use them for too long, my muscle start to tighten up since I'm using four new sets of limbs at once."

Katsuki huffed when everyone turned to him. He honestly didn't see why everyone went through with this, but whatever. Besides, as much as he hated to admit it, but this was actually nice. It gave him some info on potential scrubs to blow out of the water. "Fine. I'm Katsuki Bakugo. My Quirk's Explosion. Basically, my sweat's like nitroglycerin. I rub my hands, they go boom. Get the picture, you extras?"

"Well, aren't we testy?" Seraphina rolled her eyes, causing him to bristle in anger. "Anyways, my name is Seraphina Kreuz. My Quirk, Time Stop, is a Marriage Quirk." Everyone leaned forward, now interested. Todoroki, for his part, also had a curious gleam in his eyes. "Basically, it lets me stop time, though if I use it repeatedly in short bursts, I get a headache worse than a hangover after a hardcore party. It also increases my strength, which can cause my muscles to hurt like hell if I push them too far."

The next to go was one of the more bizarre of the lot. A student with a bird-shaped head. "I am Fumikage Tokoyami. My Quirk is known as Dark Shadow. To put it simply, my Quirk is sentient and can act on its own, but I can will it if I wish to. It can be quite troublesome at times, so I apologize if it acts up."

"Hey, it's cool." Eijirou told him, giving him a thumbs-up. "You're up next, Todoroki!"

Todoroki sighed. "Very well." he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I am Shoto Todoroki. I call my Quirk Half-Hot, Half-Cold. My right side lets me use ice, and as for my left side..." He trailed off, his eyes turning darker. Everyone looked at him, a bit curious. He then shook his head. "Let's leave it at that for now." He then turned to Izuku. "I believe it's your turn now, Midoriya-san."

"E-eh?" the meek boy squeaked. All eyes were on him, curiosity and interest centered on him. He was never good with attention, especially not like this. No, wait. He had to be calm. He took a deep breath. "Um, o-okay. M-my name is Izuku Midoriya! 15-years old! I-I used to attend Orudera with John, S-Senpai and Kacchan!"

A few looked at Katsuki, amused by this nickname. In response, Katsuki growled and held up a hand, explosions popping in his grasp. A clear threat that, if he said anything more, he would sincerely regret it. Izuku gulped, not saying anything further.

The next part was going to be rather tricky. He couldn't reveal One For All's name and full extent, so he had to be careful here.

"M-My Quirk doesn't really have a name yet, b-but it increases my strength."

"How much we talking here?" Eijirou asked. "I mean, when you helped me back during the exam, you had a bit of trouble unless you were aiming for them rust bucket's heads. Then you took out the Zero Pointer in one shot!"

"Yet he broke his arm severely in doing so." Iida countered, adjusting his glasses before turning to Izuku for confirmation. "I assume that you can only handle a certain amount of your Quirk's power until your body is fully accustomed to it?"

"Y-yeah. I was a late bloomer."

"Kreuz-san and Doe-san said as much."

The ponytailed girl blinked. "Doe?"

"That'd be me." John raised a hand. "My name is John Doe. Like Seraphina here and Izuku and Bakugo, I'm from Orudera Junior High School. My Quirk's called Wild Card. It lets me copy the powers of any Quirk-user I see."

"COPY ANY QUIRK YOU SEE?!" The other students exclaimed in shock. John had a Quirk THAT powerful in his hands?! That seemed like cheating.

"Yeah, but as they say, all power comes with a price. Mine is no exception. To use other Quirks, I don't just need to see them in action, I also have to understand how they manifest and work. An example being Eijirou hardening his arms, or Todoroki making ice. Copying other Quirks also drains stamina and mental power, as I am essentially using all my processing power to mimic them and make them my own. Also, for each Quirk I use, I gain the drawbacks associated with them at a weaker extent. An example for this would be copying Rein's Arachnid arms and experiencing muscle tightness, but not as much as hers."

Everyone was still left stunned. Katsuki was aware of how powerful his Quirk was, having seen it firsthand. Hearing about it more, however, was definitely something to file away for later.

Meanwhile, the ponytailed girl continued to stare at John curiously. He noticed the stare and frowned. "Is there something wrong, miss...?"

"Momo Yaoyorozu." she introduced herself. "Pardon for asking something so private, but...might your father be the author of UnOrdinary?"

"Yep." John nodded. "That's my dad. I take it you read his book?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, it actually helped cement my decision in becoming a Hero in the first place." She replied. "It's a shame it became a banned book for being so controversial."

"Huh. Well, I'll be sure to tell my old man that. He'll be happy that his book did what it was meant to do. Inspire others in Heroics."

Yes. That was a fact that troubled John greatly. Despite having such a profound effect on the Heroic Community, creating a powerful "boom" so to speak in the department of heroics, UnOrdinary was regarded as being highly controversial. Namely, because of its premise: a single individual with incredible powers, whilst everyone else was "Quirkless." Many were deeply touched by the protagonist's goals. They were the very definition of a hero, acting without expecting anything in return. Even when they died, they never asked for anything. They were simply happy from having achieved their goal in saving people. However, there were a few individuals who found the book to be perhaps touching a sore subject. Some argued that it was "Pro-Quirk," discouraging and criticizing individuals who didn't possess any powers.

As a result, there was much controversy over the book written by William H. Doe. After many arguments and discussion, it was eventually labeled as a banned book.

But despite the result, it performed its duty.

The Heroic Department saw an increase of heroes like never before. Even today, several years after its publication and eventual ban, it continued to bring new heroes out into the world. It was something John's father was proud of. Although he was embarrassed by the fact he explicitly dedicated it to him.

Of course, he wasn't about to tell anyone else that particular bit of information.

"At any rate..." Momo smiled. "My Quirk is called Creation. To put it simply, I can create virtually any inanimate object I desire. However, I have to know its specific make-up in order to craft it."

Eijirou whistled. "Damn..."

"Meizo Shoji." the teen with the six arms said, bowing his head. "My Quirk is known as Dupli-Arms. I can replicate any part of my body unto my arms, though it's strictly limited to my ears, nose, eyes and mouth. On the upside, the duplicate appendage is much more acute compared to the normal one."

"Hanta Sero's the name!" a remarkably average kid, possibly more so than Izuku himself, said as he waved at everyone. "My Quirk is called Tape! Like it sounds, I can make cellophone-style bindings that are tough enough to hold me up, though if I make too much, my skin starts to go dry."

"How 'bout you, big guy?" Denki turned to the rather bulky student nearby, who was somewhat startled by the attention. "What's your Quirk?"

The bulky teen pointed at himself for confirmation. Everyone nodded. Strangely, rather than speaking, he pulled out a whiteboard. After a few seconds, he turned to show what it read: "I am Koji Koda. My Quirk is Animal Voice. I can talk to animals with it and understand them." He sighed, bowing. "I'm sorry my quirk isn't as flashy as everyone else's."

"Hey, hey! It's fine!" Eijirou consoled him. "You never know what kind of uses that kind of Quirk might have!" Izuku nodded in agreement. As someone who has been looking into Quirks and overanalyzing them all his life, he knew from experience that almost no Quirk was useless, regardless of how seemingly underwhelming it was! Eijirou then turned to the remaining two people in their class. "Okay, you two are the last."

The tallest of the two nodded, smiling. "My name's Rikido Sato, and my Quirk is called Sugar Rush!" he exclaimed. "Whenever I eat over 10 grams of sugar, my strength increases, though if I go overboard, I kind of become the saying, all brawn and no brain."

"My name is Mashirao Ojiro." The teen male with the tail smiled. "My Quirk is just my tail. It more or less acts like a third limb, but it's still pretty strong. I also practice martial arts, so it helps out as well."

"I'm Minoru Mineta!" the grape kid announced, bouncing. "And my Quirk is Pop Off! I can detach sticky spheres from atop my head. They can stick to pretty much anything, but they don't stick to me. They just slide right off! Oh, but if take off too many off my head, I start to bleed."

Everyone stared at the kid, who understandably tilted his head. "What? What is it?"

"...that has got to be the lamest Quirk I've ever heard of." Katsuki said bluntly, speaking what was on the minds of everyone. "You sure you're cut for the Heroic Department, Grapes?"

"Wh-what do you mean? Of course I am! I'm here aren't I?!" He argued.

"Your Quirk is worth crap." Katsuki stated flatly. "All it's good for is immobilizing people. How the hell were you not killed in the practical with a worthless Quirk like that?"

"I-I don't think his Quirk is useless! I-I'm sure it has its-"

"You shut the fuck up, Deku!"

"How rude!" Iida snapped. "Once again, I must ask! Are you certain you're fit for the Hero Course?!"

Katsuki growled. "You wanna start something, Four Eyes?!"

Seraphina, Momo and Rein sighed, shaking their heads in complete sync.

 _'This will be one troublesome year.'_

* * *

"Hold it, Aizawa-kun."

The shabby Pro Hero stopped, turning his head. "I was wondering when you were going to show up, All Might." he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "What is it?"

"What you said back there struck a nerve." All Might folded his arms. "A lie?! Hah! That has to be the worst joke I've ever heard! You expelled an entire Freshman class!" The wide smile that touched his face grew, pointing a finger. "Yet...you didn't even expel a single kid back there. That means, Aizawa-kun...you must see it also!"

"See what?"

"Their potential, of course!"

Aizawa scoffed. "They don't have zero potential, I will give them that." he said. "But...one of 'em has me slightly concerned."

"Who? Young Midoriya?"

"Had he been reckless in his usage of his Quirk, yes. However, he's shown he at least knows how to control it and not risk breaking his bones or tearing apart his muscles. No, my concern is William's son."

All Might's eyes widened. "John?" he said, surprised. "Why?"

"You of all people should know, All Might." Aizawa shook his head. "Even though his father and Bostin Junior High swept the incident under the rug, it does not change what happened."

All Might immediately understood what his colleague was getting at. "...You are referring to what happened with his class, correct?"

"Yes. Even though Bostin was classified as a Quirk training facility, the students there were completely undisciplined and irresponsible with their Quirks. John is a prime example of this. He retaliated against his former bullies in the worst way possible. He could've killed them given the extent of their injuries." The Pro Hero's eyes narrowed. For a moment, it looked as if his Quirk had manifested, given the red tint in his eyes. "While it is true that they were pretty much asking for it, there's a thin line between getting revenge and attempted murder. While there definitely isn't any real sign of the so-called Tyrant of Bostin, the fact remains that he doesn't have the mental capability of being a hero. Hell, even his desire and drive in this Course is weak."

"John did say he had no desire of becoming a Hero." the man recalled, rubbing his chin. "His only real reason for being here is Little Sera and Young Midoriya."

Aizawa sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well, that being said...he at least has some potential, like everyone else." he said as he walked away. "Of course, whether or not he capitalizes on that potential is up to him..."

"Hmph." All Might huffed. "As I thought...I think it'll be impossible for us to get along."

 _'Still, he did raise a valid point.'_ the Symbol of Peace thought. ' _If John isn't careful, he may very well revert back to how he was back in Bostin. If what Little Sera's told me is of any indication, he doesn't hold that much of a high value of the current society. Then again, I can't really blame him. Nowadays, most heroes just do become heroes for fame and glory and to get rich real fast.'_

All Might sighed as his form deflated, reverting back to Toshinori Yagi.

"I miss the good old days of heroics..." he muttered, closing his eyes before turning back to the class of 1-A, who were becoming more and more lively, thanks to Katsuki's antagonistic actions. While most would see mere children, Yagi saw something else. Something much more profound. Beautiful, even.

A new generation. A generation that could make the world a much better place.

A wide grin touched his face. "I have no doubt that these kids will become great heroes." he said with conviction. "Wouldn't you think so too, Sensei?"

He received no answer. He didn't need one. Smiling wistfully, Yagi turned and walked away, heading back to the faculty room.

Come tomorrow, he had a busy schedule in mind for his new, brave pioneers of heroics. With that in mind, Yagi grinned. For once, the smile on his face not one that hid his fear, but one of excitement.

This year was truly going to be an amazing one!

* * *

[You know, the last thing I ever would have expected to hear was you getting accepted into Yuuei. Much less the fact that you applied.]

John rolled his eyes as he leaned into the wall behind him. Not far off in the distance was Seraphina and Izuku, who were waving him goodbye as they made their way back to their respective homes. "Well, I had to choose a high school at some point." he said, waving back at his two friends. "And Sera was pretty insistent that I go with her and Izuku."

[You made some good friends, John. I'm happy for you. Still, to think you'd all go for the Hero Course! What's next? You becoming a hero?]

"Being a hero was never my intention in the first place." John replied testily. "The only reason I'm here is to be with my friends. That's really it."

[Okay, okay. No need to be so hostile. By the way, that kid you mentioned. Izuku. He's the Quirkless boy, right?]

The golden-eyed teen was surprised his father actually still remembered Izuku. After all, the last time they had ever met was back when he was still in Elementary School. "Yeah." he confirmed with a grin. "He was also the first person you gave the first-edition copy of UnOrdinary too before it got banned. Speaking of which, I met a girl in class today. Looks like you've got a fan there too."

[Is that right? And a girl?]

His eyebrow twitched. "It isn't like that."

[Oh, I know. You've got your heart set for that girl you keep telling me about.]

John's heart thumped as his cheeks turned pink. "Wh-what the hell are you talking about, you oaf?!" he shouted in dismay. "I-I don't think- I don't see Sera-!"

[Hahahahaha! Relax, John! I'm just teasing you. Lord knows we barely get the time to do stuff like this. I wish it were face-to-face, though.]

"Dammit old man. Will you stop trolling me?" Then his expression softened. "But yeah. It's been a while since we last saw each other, huh?"

[I'm really sorry I couldn't be there for you John. But my work has been pretty demanding as of late. I'll try to see if I can get some time off in the future.]

John smiled. "Okay. See you soon, Dad."

[You too, kiddo.]

The call came to an end, there. John stared at his cell for a few more minutes before he sighed, looking up at the orange-tinted sky. He hadn't realized how late it had gotten. The school day seemed to have just flown by.

Then again, the world always seemed to be moving, with or without him. He sighed a bit as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, running a hand through his hair. Of all the things he would have expected to find himself involved in, Yuuei and the Hero Course was not one of them. He believed he made it pretty clear that he really didn't have any real desire to enter the heroic scene. Aizawa would likely notice that as well, and perhaps the other teachers. Whether or not they cared wasn't his concern. What was his concern was making sure Izuku didn't get himself killed or do anything stupid.

Then again...weren't the roles reversed, not too long ago?

"After all..." John remarked sadly. "He never knew what happened in Bostin, did he?"

After what happened at his old school, his father made sure to sweep the incident under the rug to give him any semblance of a normal life. He injured his classmates to a severe extent. Many of them were hospitalized, some on the verge of being crippled. He was angry that day, so angry that he did not pull any punches. He wanted to give his tormentors payback plus interest.

Thinking back...John realized he took things too far. Claire was right. He was a monster.

And he had told none of this to Izuku.

Izuku was the only person who actually chose to continue being his friend, despite the fact that he had been so arrogant back then. Why didn't he treat Izuku like he had everyone else? Was it because he pitied him? Or maybe it was because, before he discovered his Quirk, they were like brothers? People without any power in such an unfair society?

John idly wondered what Izuku would say if he ever found out. Would he still see him as a friend? Or view him the same way Claire did? Now that he thought about it...

"Claire," he murmured somberly, closing his eyes as he tried to remember the happier times with the first friend he made in Bostin. The one who showed him the true value in his Quirk. "I wonder...where are you, right now?"

* * *

Episode 3: END

* * *

 _NEXT TIME!_

 _All Might: Today, you'll all be participating in...COMBAT SIMULATION!_

 _Katsuki: Don't dodge...Deku!_

 _Izuku: "Deku" isn't the name of some useless cripple. From here on, "Deku"...is the name of a Hero!_

 _Rein: I want to see where I stand with the Time Queen._

 _John: Bakugo, stop! If you use that, you'll kill him!_

 _Izuku: It hurts...but, this pain...the fact that I'm still standing right here... It means that I want to beat you, Kacchan!_

Episode 4: Rage, You Damn Nerd! Rematch between Spider and Time!

 _Katsuki & Izuku: Go beyond your limits! __**PLUS ULTRA!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_With the emergence of Quirks and the rise of super-powered humans, the profession that had once been in comic books had become reality._

 _"Heroes."_

 _Yuuei Academy is one of the many schools that train powerful youths, who aspire to become heroes._

 _Among their number is Izuku Midoriya, a boy chosen by the Symbol of Peace: All Might and John Doe, a boy who once used his power for selfish gain._

 _One is destined to become the greatest hero in the world, and the other..._

 _...this is their story._

* * *

 **A Boku no Hero Academia x UnOrdinary Crossover:**

 **"My Hero Academia: The UnOrdinary Ones"**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 4: Rage, You Damn Nerd! Rematch between Spider and Time!_**

Despite everyone being a part of the Hero Course, it wasn't necessarily limited to just classes that involved one's Quirk. There had been relatively normal classes as well, such as English and Literature. Even history. To some who expected much more, they felt as if they were back in a public educational school, even though the teachers were Pro Heroes, such as Present Mic or Aizawa. The day had been utterly boring for them, yet they still trudged forward.

Until the last class of the day came, and in grand spectacular fashion.

"I am here...!" Everyone's attention came to the door as it was pulled open. No sooner had their next teacher entered did Izuku suddenly go Chibi with sparkling eyes and Seraphina with a small grin on her face. "COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"

John sweatdropped as All Might boldly (and unnecessarily) entered in a grand, yet bizarre fashion. Around him, his classmates bustled with greater activity, practically ecstatic to have the Number One Hero as their teacher.

"No way! It's really All Might!"

"He's wearing a costume from the Silver Age!"

"The design is so retro!"

And the comments went on.

All Might stood before the entirety of Class 1-A. "This is Foundational Hero Studies! In this class, you shall build your foundations as a Hero through countless trials! For your first trial, we shall begin with Combat Training!"

At this, Izuku went stiff. Opposite to him, Katsuki suddenly developed a grin.

All Might didn't seem to notice either, as instead he focused on the enthusiasm the class was bearing and pounded a hefty fist to his chest. "Today, you'll all be participating in..." In a flourish, he slammed his hand down on the blackboard behind him, which had strangely gone unnoticed until now. "COMBAT SIMULATIONS!"

In a loud chorus, 1-A cheered while Izuku sunk into his chair, now suddenly deathly afraid while John groaned in annoyance. "And for your first battles..." All Might pulled out a remote and pressed the button. On command, a section of the wall split off and opened up, revealing a shelf filled with silver briefcases with bright green logos on the front. Twenty-three total. "We have received the gear that match your quirks from your costume request forms. Please put them on and meet up at Training Ground Beta."

Most of the students were excited by this prospect. John was excluded from that group. For good reason too.

He never actually requested a Hero outfit. Why would he, if he had openly stated that he had no intentions of becoming a Hero? If he had to wear something, his the gym uniform would more than make due. Seraphina, on the other hand, had requested a costume, if only for simplicity's sake and by recommendation by All Might.

* * *

Training Ground Beta, as it turned out, would be the battlefield that had been used in the Entrance Exams, albeit smaller in scale. By the time everyone had arrived, All Might was waiting for them with a proud smile on his face, seeing each and every one of his students dressed in spectacular costumes.

"They say the clothes make the man, and you all certainly look the part!" he cackled madly. "Look at you youngsters! This is your first sign of being heroes, boys and girls!"

John would have to admit, everyone certainly gave some thought to their costumes. Each was radically different and unique, some more than others. In contrast, he looked so utterly plain looking. Nothing more than the Yuuei jersey. He stuck out like a sore thumb, as a few of his classmates noted.

"You look like a fish out of water, John." Seraphina said behind him. The boy sighed, about to raise an argument as he turned around, only for his voice to fail him as he stared at what Seraphina had chosen for her Hero Costume. Unaware of what her attire was doing to him, she cocked her head in confusion. "What's the matter? Why's your face all red?"

To put it simply, her attire seemed to be a cross between a bodysuit and steam-punk clothing. She bodysuit hugged her body and emphasized her curves while the touches of a clockwork theme kept it from being oversexual. Her suit also consisted of what seemed like a mix of a plated vest and a corset with what appeared to be a glowing core on the front and back with energy circuits running throughout the suit. She had metal, clockwork-themed bracers around her forearms and shin guards with a pair of combat boots. Peeking out from her vest was a high collar to shield the back of her neck and a hood. Wrapped around her waist was a belt with an assortment of pouches and tubes. On her head was a pair of steampunk themed goggles. Around her neck was a mask of some sort.

John couldn't help but think how good she looked in the damn thing. "It..." he swallowed. "Your outfit. It looks good."

Seraphina glanced at her attire. "You think so?" she asked, a little uncertain. "I've never really worn something like this before." She then glanced over to the side, finding Remi bouncing on her feet happily as she munched on a pack of pocky. She wore an outfit that looked quite similar to what her brother wore: a bodysuit with a simple dark blue jacket with a short hem ending at her waist and the sleeves coming only up to the biceps. The bodysuit itself was white, opposite to X-Static's black with dark blue lines running up the sides of her body. Thunder bolt designs were etched into the back of the jacket, creating what looked like an X. No doubt in homage to her brother. Around her neck was a visor of some sort with a pink tinted lens, and a mask of what appeared to have the resemblance of a kitten or a puppy? John wasn't sure. "Remi's looks a lot better though."

 _'Yeah, and it shows...'_ John thought for a moment before feeling as if the more developed girls in his class had chosen outfits that somehow emphasized just how 'developed' they were. He saw Rein Arrent not far off, speaking with Momo as they walked. Like Remi, she wore a bodytight suit with her backside completely exposed, no doubt for her additional limbs. It was predominantly black and white, black from the waist down while exposing her barefeet, cloth wrapping the bottom of her feet. From the waist up, white slowly began to take over, the black color of the outfit developing into spider-webs. Completing the outfit was a small hoodie. He promptly looked elsewhere when he noticed just how tightly the costume hugged her. Particularly around the chest. _'I feel like every girl in our class is some kind of super model or something.'_

Not far away, Minoru held similar thoughts, though whereas John looked away in embarrassment, he drunk in the sight. Especially when he saw how tight Ochako's Hero Costume hugged her. Without a hint of shame, he raised a thumbs up with a goofy grin on his face. "I love the Hero Course." he proudly declared.

For some odd reason, John felt a strong urge to punch the guy in the head.

As he scanned the crowd, he finally found Izuku. And his costume was...interesting to say the least.

The green haired teen wore a green and white jumpsuit with white gloves, elbow and knee braces, and a red utility belt. On his head was a hood with two fabric horns that resemble All Might's hairstyle. He also wore a mask with a wire mesh over his face. Oddly enough, it resembled a wide grin.

It was kind of obvious who his costume was inspired by.

All Might noticed this too. The man turned away, embarrassed and coughing in his hand. "J-Jeez, way to make it obvious kid...!" Not that he was complaining. Even so, did the boy really have to go that far? He knew he was a fan boy, but damn...

Seraphina and John smiled. "Typical Mido-chan." the former said as she put a hand to her hip. "Whereas Katsuki..."

The spiky haired blonde's costume matched his personality. It was orange and black, with a spiky mask that resembled an explosion on his face. The most eye-catching feature were the two gauntlets that greatly resembled grenades on his forearms. As always, his expression was intense.

The former King of Bostin stared before his face turned flat. "...is he trying to look like a hero, or he supposed to be a villain?"

"Knowing him, I don't think it matters much."

Chit chat had ended shortly afterwards. Everyone was gathered before All Might, and therefore class could officially begin. Everyone was itching to show off their skills, something the man noticed and grinned at, loving their enthusiasm. This would also be a good opportunity for Izuku to obtain more combat experience as well.

"Gather around, boys and girls! Today, you will be participating in Two-versus-Two battles! One team will be playing the role of Heroes, and the other will be acting as the Villains! And for this week, you'll be duking it out indoors!" He gestured to the city before them. "A lot of villain clean up is seen in the open. However, more often than not, criminal activity takes place behind closed doors. The smartest villains tend to commit crimes out of sight from others. Kidnappings, black-market dealings, the list goes on in the shadows!"

"Sir! How will teams be determined?!" Tenya asked.

"How do we determine wins and losses?" Momo questioned.

"Can I just blow them all away!" This was Katsuki.

"Isn't this cape magnificent?" Yuga questioned off topic.

Questions from other students spilled forth like a flood. The Number One hero became overwhelmed by the constant inquiries, much to the amusement of John and Seraphina. Even so, he continued to grin and brought order.

"Not to worry, I shall answer all of your questions! Now for your test, it shall be this!" All Might reached into his suit and pulled out what appeared to be a cheat sheet with instructions written.

"As I said earlier, you'll be battling indoors! The rules will be particularly simple, as is the scenario: the Villain team will be in possession of a bomb! It's a fake, mind you, but for the sake of this simulation, treat it as if it were the real thing! The Hero Team's task will be to retrieve the bomb within a certain time frame! When the match begins, the Villain Team will have five minutes to prepare for the Hero Team's coming! The Hero team wins if they can successfully retrieve the weapon, while the villain team wins if they keep the weapon safe until time is up. However, it is also possible for either team to win if they capture their opponents with the given capture tape, or incapacitate both members of the opposing team. As for the team placements?" He grinned as he produced two small boxes, one red and one blue. "They'll be decided by luck of the draw!"

Tenya frowned heavily. "Pardon me, but isn't that a rather haphazardly way of deciding things?"

"Not really." Izuku blurted out without thinking, causing everyone to look at him, putting him on the spot. "W-Well, I mean, you can't predict who you'll be paired up with! L-like the odds of Kamui Woods working with Death Arms or Backdraft!"

"Exactly, Young Midoriya!" All Might strongly, proud that his pupil understood the concept so quickly. "It is as you say! Even in the most dire of situations, heroes are paired together randomly! That's why it is best for you to understand your teammate and their abilities as best you can!"

"I see! Forgive my interruption!" Iida bowed apologetically.

All Might waved a hand before he held out the boxes. "Alright, then! Everyone, take a paper from the boxes! And no peeking, either!"

One by one, the students stepped up and pulled a number from the box. The finalized team pairings were listed as thus:

Team A: Izuku and Seraphina

Team B: Mezo and Shoto

Team C: Momo and Minoru

Team D: Katsuki and Rein

Team E: Mina and Yuga

Team F: Koji and Rikido

Team G: Kyoka and Denki

Team H: Tsuyu and Fumikage

Team I: Toru and Mashirao

Team J: Eijirou and Hanta

Team K: John and Remi

Team L: Ochako and Tenya

Izuku blinked, looking at Seraphina who merely grinned and slapped him on the back. "Looks like we'll be working together, Mido-chan." she said, happy to know that she would be able to fight with her friend. It would also be a good way to monitor his growth so far up close. Izuku, for his part, was embarrassed and slightly terrified at the prospect of working together with Seraphina, if only because he feared failure in front of her, both as a friend and as All Might's successor.

John, on the other hand...

"Aw~ Can't believe I didn't get Sera! Oh well! I can't wait to see what you can do! By the way, why aren't you wearing your hero costume? Did you lose it somewhere? Did you not get it? Ooh, what kind of opponent do you think we'll go up against? I'm so excited for this! How about you, John-kun? Are you excited? Huh? Huh?!"

 _'...I have never met someone so charged up on hyperactive.'_ he thought, sweatdropping as she gave a long-winded rapid-fire session that would put Izuku to shame. _'How the hell is she so energetic?'_

"The teams have been formed!" All Might declared with a grin. "And now, to announce the first match up of the day!" He then took a slip of paper from both boxes once everyone put their slips back in. "And the lucky ones are...Teams A and D! Team A will be the Heroes, and Team D, the villains!"

Four teens froze. 'Team D?' John thought with dread as he looked over at the aforementioned group...

...where Katsuki glared at Izuku, fangs bared like a predator ready to hunt.

'This...will not end well.'

* * *

 _'...I'm gonna die, aren't I?'_ Izuku thought in dismay as he and Seraphina were situated outside the test building where the Training exercise will take place. The had a few minutes left before the exercise began and took this time to strategize. With Izuku's knowledge on Katsuki's Quirk and abilities, and Seraphina's experience fighting Rein, the Time Queen wasn't too worried about this battle.

Izuku on the other hand was a nervous wreck.

Namely, because this was not only his first actual battle, but it was against Katsuki of all people. The very person who tormented him for years, yet the very same person who he envied and admired almost as much as All Might. He was still getting the hang of One for All, and was worried whether or not he would be able to handle him.

Which is why he was a muttering mess.

"To think we would be pit against one another like this so soon. Given that he's a villain in this case and driven to defeat Seraphina, he may rush at us and attack us from the bat. Would he ambush us? Or will he work with Rein and double-team us? Wait, I don't know the full extent of her capabilities with her spider legs. Sure they can help her mobility, but given what we say at the assessment test, they must pack power too. And does she have all eight spider limbs, or can she make more...? I doubt both would attack us head on, as one needs to guard the weapon, but what if..." The boy was off in his own little world, deep in his thoughts and mumbling like there's no tomorrow.

"Hey, Mido-chan." Sera lightly slapped his shoulder, bringing him out of his funk. "Relax a bit, will you? We got this."

"B-B-But we're up against K-Kacchan..."

"So what? I've beaten him before, remember?"

He was well aware of that. In fact, he bore witness to nearly all of her victories. That being said, "A-and what about Rein-san?"

"Well, it's been a while since I've fought her, but I'm willing to take a guess and say she's improved." she remarked, folding her arms. "However, I'd like to think she would clash with Baka-go. Think of it like fire and ice, with Rein as the ice. She also likes to plan out the best approach."

She went on to describe her plan of attack, based on what she had seen from her days participating in Turf Wars. She was an avid planner, analyzing her opponent's capabilities and strengths and planning ahead appropriately. Her team revolved around this information. When they fought in the old days, she had managed to put one of her teammates out of commission, having simply analyzed his Quirk and strengths while capitalizing on their weaknesses.

"Since I can stop time, I can pretty much handle her." Seraphina claimed. "But since my Quirk has me get a headache if I use it for too long, she'll probably force me to use it often. And if she fights you, she might try to force you to go all out and break a body part."

Izuku nodded, holding a hand to his chin. "I see... If that's the case, she might know that Kacchan has a problem with the both of us and send him after us, and then attack us in the middle of the confusion."

"As if." his friend snorted. "I'll clock Baka-go and then we go straight for Rein. Easy as that."

"A-actually...please leave Kacchan to me, Senpai!"

Seraphina looked at him with a quirked brow. "...why do you want to face him by yourself?"

"I-It's because...for me...i-it's now or never. If I don't face him now, I'll never be able to. This...this is my chance to settle things between us…" His hands were shaking, just by thinking of it. He could already feel the heat of his explosions and the raw power behind them. If he fought Katsuki, he wouldn't be able to escape. He would have to stand his ground and fight. He wouldn't lie: it scared him.

But...

He needed to do this! He couldn't afford to be so scared! He wasn't the pushover Deku who cried who was weak. He was going to make that name something more!

Seraphina stared at him for a while before she grinned. "Thatta boy, Mido-chan." she said, patting him on the shoulder. "Okay, then. You take care of Baka-go. In the meantime, spider girl's mine."

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the villain's hideout, Rein moved about the room, setting up basic traps that, while they wouldn't totally stop them, they would impede their progress quite a bit and have them lose a bit of time. She casted a glance over her shoulder to see Katsuki simmering in the corner, firing off little explosions in his hands.

"This would go a lot smoother if you would help." Rein told him evenly. When he refused to answer her, she sighed and pulled away from her handiwork, folding her arms. "Look, I can tell what kind of guy you are. The kind of person who works alone. Like it or not, though, this is a team exercise. That means we have to work together."

Katsuki ignored her again. His mind was teeming with thoughts. While the prospect of fighting Seraphina at full force, with all of his strength at his disposal, was so god damn awesome, he couldn't pull himself away from the fact that he was going to be fighting Izuku. Mother fucking Deku. It was hard to imagine where they were standing now: both of them here at Yuuei, about to square off against one another. That runt had obviously grown a spine. Why wouldn't he, given that he hangs around John and Seraphina every day?

So then, why?

Why the fuck couldn't he get his mind off of the fact that pansy ass Deku was here at Yuuei?

 _Why the fuck did that little shit have a Quirk?!_

"...hey." he called out to Rein, who raised an eyebrow. "Deku... He's got a Quirk, right?"

"You tell me." Rein huffed. "You two are friends, aren't you?"

Katsuki growled, rounding on her. "We ain't friends!" he snapped, fire in his voice. "He's been nothing but a goddamn nuisance!"

The spider girl quirked a brow. "Then why are you so hung up about him? If you think he's a nuisance, why not ignore him?"

"It ain't that fucking simple!" He snapped at her. "He's supposed to have been Quirkless! A worthless nobody made to be my stepping stone to be the Number One Hero! And now he's here in Yuuei of all places?! Fuck that shit!" He slammed his fist into the wall behind him. While his Quirk didn't enhance his strength, he did punch it hard enough to leave behind a crack. "That little fucker... All this time, he's been playing me for a fiddle!"

His words made gears turn in the girl's mind. Clearly this guy has some sort of complex. Whether superiority or inferiority she couldn't quite tell. Either way, he's making it seem like that Izuku boy tricked him by claiming he's Quirkless. In her mind, it was quite the clever strategy. Hiding one's cards until folding them. Still, this presented a complication. All she had to go on his abilities were what he told to the class and the limitations of his Quirk. If she forced him to go all out, it would be easier to subdue him.

For the moment, however, her primary concern was easily the biggest threat: Seraphina Kruez. The Time Queen.

She remembered her. How could she not? She was the one who had beaten her so easily without even breaking a sweat. Back in their Turf War days, she won all of the matches for her school. That is, until Seraphina showed up and took her out with a single strike. One moment, she faced against her, the next, she was down on the ground defeated.

She would not underestimate the Time Queen this time. Since that day, she trained and grew as a fighter. Even developing her Quirk on the side as a bonus.

This time, she was going to win.

* * *

"I can't wait to see how Izuku does!" Ochaco gushed as she and the rest of Class 1-A watched from the observatory room, with All Might standing in front of the consoles, a receiver planted in his ear. "And I can't wait to see how Seraphina-san does too! She looks so cool~!"

"Of course Sera is cool!" Remi said with a grin. "She almost always wins in a single strike! They don't call her the Time Queen for nothin'!"

Iida rubbed his chin. "Still, I'm curious to see how well this match goes." he remarked with interest. "I've only seen Midoriya-san in action once. His Quirk is powerful, but the backlash is rather severe. Then again, Kruez-san did say he was a late bloomer, so he probably didn't have much time to develop it."

"I'm more concerned about how things will go between Izuku and Bakugo." John expressed his worry for his friend. "Ever since the Quirk Assessment Test, he's been looking for a chance to murder him all day."

"Surely he wouldn't go that far, would he?" Iida asked. While he knew the ashen blonde had quite the violatile temper, no pun intended, he sincerely doubted he'd go so far as to severely injure a fellow classmate, regardless of personal grudges. "This is a simulation. I doubt he would go too far."

John didn't look the least bit relieved. "You don't know Bakugo. Once he's found his target, the only thing capable of stopping him is either Seraphina, or his mother. And sadly, Seraphina is going to be Izuku's only hope here."

"ALRIGHT!" All Might roared, surprising the students. "HERO TEAM! VILLAIN TEAM! IT'S TIME FOR THE MATCH...TO BEGIN!"

* * *

Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat as All Might's voice officially started the match. This was it. The moment of truth.

"Let's go." Seraphina said, entering the building. The green-haired boy quickly followed after her. "Let's go over the plan one more time. Chances are, Katsuki will be coming straight at us. Not even Remi will be able to handle him, but she would know he's got beef against us, so she'll set him loose and let him come to us. You hold him off for as long as you can. In the meantime, I go down and take care of Remi and secure the bomb."

"R-right."

"We should probably expect some traps, so try and be careful." the older girl cautioned him. "And remember... Don't use One for All at full force. Not unless you absolutely have to, understand?" Izuku nodded slowly. "Okay then... Let's move on."

They didn't even make it past the corridor when a familiar scream resounded. "Die!" Katsuki jumped into view and fired off a searing explosion. The blast was close, close enough to singe Izuku's mask. He reared back, managing to avoid the full blast while Seraphina pulled him away further, using her Quirk to momentarily stop time and drag him to safety. Time resumed and debris soon clattered to the ground, smoke rising out from the hole in the wall. Stepping out from it was none other than Katsuki, smoke rising from his hand while the most livid and intense glare either of the two had seen him give was present in his eyes, nearly giving him a manic look.

At this moment, he truly looked the part of the villain.

"Don't dodge...Deku!"

He aimed both hands and fired off another round on explosions. The two Heroes ducked behind some of the racks of supplies for cover. "I hate being right!" Seraphina cursed. "Mido-kun, you remember the plan, right?"

Izuku nodded. "Y-yeah! Just go!"

With a nod, Seraphina blinked out of view. Izuku realized she had used her Quirk to escape. He was confident Seraphina could handle her own. Now he had to face his childhood bully.

He sucked in a breath, then leaped back out into the field. "C'mere you little shit!" Katsuki roared as he charged at him, hand reared back. Izuku saw the move coming a mile away and dodged to the left, grabbing Katsuki's wrist and pulling him over his shoulder before increasing his strength through One for All, pushing at 2% and sending him flying before he hit the ground, flat on his back. For a moment, the ashen blonde was dazed before he regained his senses, realizing what just happened. "W-what the...?!"

"Did you forget, Kacchan?" Izuku asked as his childhood friend clamored up to his feet. "Out of everyone in Orudera... You were the one person who I had the most knowledge of. How your Quirk worked, how you fought, how strong you are... I know every last bit of it!"

"Y-you..." Katsuki growled, fangs bared.

Izuku was not deterred in the least. Instead, he glared back and raised his fists, tightly balled and ready for battle. "Deku isn't the name of some useless cripple. From here on, "Deku"...is the name of a hero!"

* * *

From the viewing area, John had a relieved smile on his face. It looked like Izuku was going to be alright.

"Man, did you see that toss?!" Kirishima exclaimed.

"Yeah! It's like he read his moves and acted accordingly."

"That's because Izuku knows Bakugo's fighting patterns." The raven haired male answered. "They've been friends since they were kids and attended the same school up to this point. That's why Izuku knows every way Bakugo fights."

"Then why does he look like he wants to kill Midoriya?" Denki asked.

"That's because he's a prideful, stubborn asshole." John responded easily. "Just because Izuku used to be Quirkless, he's always been trying to put him down."

"That doesn't seem very heroic though. Is he really trying to be a Hero?"

The raven-haired teen laughed. "I know, right?"

All Might watched the match, eyes narrowed. _'Simply because you know how he fights, Young midoriya, does not mean you know everything about his ability.'_ he thought, tense and curious to see where the battle went. _'After all, in the heat of battle...is when one's true fighting spirit awakens!'_

* * *

"...I should have figured you'd get past all those traps." Rein commented as Seraphina emerged into the room. "Since you're alone, I take it Bakugo is fighting Midoriya?"

"The explosions didn't tell you?" Seraphina asked sarcastically, hand on her hip. "Still, never would have thought I'd run into you here at Yuuei. It's been, what, two years since the last time we saw each other?"

"It has... Of course, back then, it was when you were the Queen of Orudera." Rein replied coolly. "The undefeated champion. The strongest Quirk user in the whole city. There wasn't a single person who could beat you. Some even claimed you could fight on equal par with the Tyrant of Bostin." Seraphina internally winced, being reminded of the truth behind John's past. "But...then, a year ago, you suddenly stopped participating in Turf Wars. There was a rumor going around that you had retired."

[insert: Irregular at Magic High School OST - Code Breaker]

"I didn't really see a point in fighting against other people anymore." she answered. "Plus, I wouldn't really call it participating. I'd say it was more like blowing off steam." She flipped her hair, proceeding to crack her knuckles. "So, I don't suppose you'd willingly surrender?"

The silver-haired woman smirked. "Of course not. I want to see where I stand with the Time Queen." she answered as she arched her back. In response, her thin, spidery energy legs emerged, arching around her like spears poised to strike. "So then, Seraphina... Shall we dance?"

Seraphina grinned. "I'll lead!"

A pulse ran through as time around her froze. She rushed up and slammed her fist into Rein's stomach. Time resumed, and the spider girl was flung back from the force of the blow. But she quickly reoriented herself using her legs mid-flight and landed on them several meters away. As she looked up, she smirked, confusing Seraphina before she heard beeping underneath her. Looking down, she found a small plate right underneath her with a red LED light, which was flickering on and off. It took her a second to realize what it was and jumped back quickly, just as it exploded, sending debris flying. In that same moment, though, Rein came into view, emerging from the smoke with her legs already in motion.

Quickly, she countered with a roundhouse kick, stopping all four legs just as they came down upon her. The air shook as they parted, only to come at each other again. Coming in close, Seraphina opted for an uppercut, hoping to knock Rein off balance. She reared her head back, avoiding the fist and backflipping away. Not about to let her rest, however, Seraphina stopped time and came at her, a fist reared back. Two legs stopped it, but were promptly shattered in the process. The feedback caused Rein to wince, but was able to push Seraphina back with the remaining two, knocking her away and getting some distance between them.

Using this time for a breather, Rein manifested more spider legs to restore the ones she lost, as well as a couple extra.

Seraphina remained cautious about the room. She had no way of knowing if there were more traps like before. She could've used time stop to search the place, but it would be a waste of effort and energy. She'd push her Quirk too much, which is what Rein would want.

Instead, she chose to attack. She stopped time again and moved in to deliver an axe kick to the back of the bluenette's head.

Rein's brain rattled in her skull from the impact when time resumed, giving Seraphina an opening to strike continuously. In consecutive blows, she delivered strike after strike. In the middle of the tempo, Rein managed to regain control and parried with three legs, which were promptly destroyed before she used the other remaining legs to slam them straight into Seraphina's abdomen, sending her flying.

She absorbed the blow with her body and reoriented herself in the air before landing on her feet. She cringed from the attack, but she was still capable of fighting.

Rein got up with visible bruises and some blood dripping from open cuts.

However, neither women was deterred. Instead, both looked even more determined. At this moment, the simulation and the bomb were the least of their concerns.

The two stared at one another and then charged, clashing once again.

* * *

 ** _"WILL YOU STAY STILL, YOU QUIRKLESS SHIT?!"_**

Izuku had thought he had seen all the anger Katsuki had to offer. At this moment, however, he was wrong.

Very wrong.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" Izuku shouted as he avoided another explosion, jumping back before he leaped forward, headbutting Katsuki into his torso and knocking him to the ground, though he quickly recovered and roared, charging back at him as he was being propelled by his own explosions, going in for a grab. Izuku tensed, about to dodge when Katsuki revealed his feint, firing off an explosion and bouncing up over him.

Just as he delivered his roundhouse kick in mid-air, aiming for his back, Izuku blocked it with both arms. _'Thank god for Senpai and John's training!'_ he thought before he grabbed hold of Katsuki's leg and threw him.

However, unlike before, he twisted in the air and used his explosions to slow his descent. "The same trick won't work twice, Deku!" He launched off again. Izuku concentrated All for One throughout his body into his Full Cowl mode and met his advance.

Katsuki went in for a swing. He blocked it with ease, bracing his arm before he went in for a right hook. Katsuki tilted his head, leaving his hair to rustle from the blow instead of flesh before he countered by grabbing Izuku's head and ramming it into his knee, nearly breaking his nose in the process and leaving him disoriented. While Izuku was confused, he reared his hand back and proceeded to slam it straight into Izuku's stomach, firing off an explosion for good measure.

Izuku lost his focus and One for All dispersed from his body. He tumbled on the ground before propping himself up. He shook off the tremors from the attack and saw Katsuki slowly approach him.

"Why don't you just give up, Deku?! There's no way you can beat me! You were just a Quirkless loser who couldn't do anything without Seraphina and that damn cheater, John!"

Izuku grimaced. His body was definitely hurting. Even so, there was something swelling up inside his chest. Something he couldn't quite explain. What was this? Fear? Excitement? Anticipation? His hands were shaking, but not out of fear. They reached up to his face, wiping away the blood dripping from his nose and tearing off the remains of his mask.

 _'It hurts...'_ Izuku thought. _'It really does hurt...'_

Yet none of it even so much as stopped the manic grin from stretching across his lips. "It hurts...but, this pain...the fact that I'm still standing right here..." he said, tightly clenching his fist before he raised his head, glaring back at Katsuki, who looked completely startled by the intensity behind it. For a moment, the ashen blonde questioned if he was really looking at the same green-haired pansy from before. "It means that I want to beat you, Kacchan!

For the next few moments, neither one said a word. Katsuki's surprised expression fell back to its usual scowl. But it was more intense than before. "That so?"

He raised his right gauntlet, the top portion sliding back to allow a small pin pop out. He aimed it at Izuku.

* * *

"Th-that's-!"

The action Katsuku performed was recognized by All Might, who suddenly leaned forward in panic. Whereas everyone else was confused, John already had a good idea. The explosions Katsuki had delivered up to this point had been somewhat weak, as if he was purposely holding back. More importantly, however, there was the significance behind the grenade-shaped bracers. Knowing Katsuki, they were far from a mere cosmetic choice. The pin solidified it.

"Oh, shit..." he paled. "Don't tell me...he's been stockpiling?!"

* * *

"You know, I'm really glad those guys designed my suit down to a T." Katsuki mentioned as he slipped his finger through the pin's hole, his mouth curling into a grin that showed off all of his molars. "These gauntlets ain't just for show, Deku. They've been collecting all the sweat I've been pouring. And since you're so much of a fucking nerd, you know what my sweat is like, right?" Slowly, he pulled the pin out from his gauntlet. "And if I've been collecting sweat in these puppies..."

Just as Izuku figured out what was about to happen, Katsuki pulled the pin.

"...then you should know what's going to happen next!"

* * *

"Bakugo, stop!" John cried from the observation deck as loud as he possibly could for the ashen blonde to hear. "If you use that, you'll kill him!"

* * *

"ONLY IF HE DOESN'T DODGE IN TIME!" Katsuki roared as his his gauntlet flashed red.

In the next second, Izuku found his world consumed in flames.

* * *

"NO!" John cried in horror as Izuku was swallowed by the blast.

* * *

Both Rein and Seraphina felt the building rumble from Bakugo's attack. the spider girl took this chance to contact her partner. "Bakugo! What the hell was that just now?!"

"Nothing!" the bomber replied hostily. "Just blowing that little shit to kingdom come!"

"Are you trying to bring the building down on us?!" Rein questioned his sanity, and like everyone else, wondered if he was actually serious about becoming a hero with an attitude like that.

* * *

"Bakugo, you bastard!" John roared angrily, his Quirk activating involuntarily. His gold eyes burned intensely while black wisps rose from his body. If he actually killed Izuku, nothing was going to stop his rampage...

* * *

Katsuki was, of course, heedless to John's words. Instead, he stared at the giant plume of smoke, a clear path of debris and rubble created by his own hand. Such a sight filled him with glee, wondering if he had reduced Izuku to ashes. On the other hand, though, he was actually worried. Did he actually kill Izuku? The idea was tiny, nothing but a whisper, but it actually caused him to falter for a moment.

At least until something came speeding out of the plume of smoke and smashed straight into him, catching him entirely off-guard and off of his feet. The first thing he realized was that said something was a chunk of debris. The second thing was that he was tumbling through the hall, body hurting before he raised his body up to his knees, looking up. Faintly, he could make out a sillhouette in the smoke.

"...are you shittin' me...?"

Finally, the smoke cleared. It was Izuku. However, he looked worse for wear. While his body was intact, a good portion of his costume was burned away by the attack, revealing charred skin through the gaps. He was panting, sweat dripped from his face, yet he was still alive. Still standing.

"I-is that..." Izuku panted, powering through the pain searing through his flesh as he clenched a fist in front of him, bearing his fangs and staring down a bewildered and shocked Katsuki. "...all you got, Kaachan?!"

* * *

"Holy shit!" Denki cried in shock alongside Eijiro, staring at Izuku with star-struck eyes. "So freaking manly!"

John and All Might released a collective sigh, shoulders slumping in relief. 'That was close...' they both thought, thankful that Izuku was not severely injured. A closer look at the image showed that there was an abnormally large amount of debris scattered around him, meaning that, at the last second, he used concrete as a makeshift shield to defend himself from most of the blast. It was incredible quick thinking on his part. Even so, they were more than crossed with Katsuki. Well, more John than All Might.

When this fight was over, he and Bakugo were going to have _words_.

"Whew... That was close." Ochaco breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought it was the end of Deku there."

"Agreed." Shoto nodded before narrowing his eyes. "I understand Bakugo feels some sort of animosity towards Midoriya-san, simply because he had thought he was Quirkless, but that level of destruction is unwarranted. If he hadn't defended himself, he wouldn't be walking away from that."

"Young Bakugo!" All Might announced through his microphone. "That was extremely reckless and irresponsible of you. What you did was highly dangerous and could've seriously injured your fellow classmates. Therefore, I have no choice but to disqualify you and-"

"Don't!" Izuku barked as he stood with a determined glare. "Don't stop the match...I can...I can do this…" This surprised everyone in the Observation deck. Including Seraphina and Rein, who overheard it on their own ear pieces. "I can...I can beat him!" His expression was one of complete resolve. He refused to back down here.

His words shocked many of them. He was standing on his last legs, yet he still wanted to continue forward? Was he mad?

Yet John and Seraphina understood.

He needed to do this. To finally put his past behind him and move on. To prove that he can stand equally with the person he greatly admired. "How on Earth can he still fight?" Momo questioned, amazed. "Those burns are severe!"

"Through sheer, unbelievable willpower…" Iida answered equally as dazzled. "He's absolutely determined to do this..."

"So freaking cool!" Mina gushed before pumping her fist. "C'mon, Izuku-kun! Kick his ass!"

* * *

Katsuki growled. "Dammit all...!" he rose up to his feet, fingers twitching madly. "Deku... You annoying pest! Why the fuck can't you just stay down?!"

"Never!" Izuku shouted. "I'm not going down..." Flaring One for All into his legs, he braced himself and clenched a tight fist. "...until I beat you!"

Then he launched himself forward, faster than Katsuki could have expected, and delivered a clothesline that would have made a pro wrestler proud. Katsuki choked as his windpipe closed and gasped when he hit the ground hard. He shot an explosion toward the floor to propel himself up, spun, and kicked Izuku square in the face. He recoiled, but remained right where he was before he delivered a splendid headbutt to Katsuki's temple, followed by a right hook at %3. "Smash!"

His fist impacted his opponents' cheek, sending him flying. He tumbled before getting back on his feet. His face was bruise and blood leaked from his cut lip, but Katsuki was still standing. "Is that all you got, Deku?! Don't you dare hold back on me! Come at me with everything you have!"

"...sorry, but you won't be able to handle my 100%..." He apologized.

However, his words sparked a flame of fury in the blonde teen.

"What...was that?" he whispered, shaking in anger. "Y-you cocky bastard! HOW DARE YOU TAKE ME LIGHTLY?!"

Smaller explosions popped from his hands before he shot himself forward, intent on pummeling Izuku to a pulp.

* * *

"Good grief..." Rein grimaced as she rubbed her temples. "Is everything between boys a pissing contest?"

"Baka-go takes it further than most, sadly." Seraphina said. The two women looked rather battered, bruised and bloody. Their surroundings were not any better, as the ground was wrecked or covered in chunks of debris. Their clothing was also slightly damaged, but not to the point that it could be considered revealing. "So, you wanna finish this? Dunno about you, but I'm getting really tired of this."

Her adversary smiled. "On that, we agree." Then her eyes narrowed and brought out several legs. "But I'm the one who's going to win."

"Maybe that's how you planned it, but reality isn't that kind." Seraphina smiled as power crackled along her limbs.

A second passed. Then, in a split second, her fist smashed up against the spider legs. The energy limbs collapsed under the weight of the attack, but more limbs were made to take their place. Just as they moved, Seraphina stopped time and delivered a powerful suckerpunch to her stomach, knocking the wind out of Rein's sails before she followed up with an uppercut, knocking her into the air. Time soon resumed and she stumbled back, her head reeling. 'Shit! I've hit my limit!' she cursed, realizing that she had used her power to its limit.

Rein, however, had not yet felt the backlash of her power yet. Her body was aching, but nowhere near the point to where she would be unable to move. Being close to the ceiling, she pierced it with her energy limbs and proceeded to rip off a slab of concrete, sending it flying straight at Seraphina as she was temporarily disabled. She noticed the incoming projectile and hastily leapt to the side to avoid it. But now she was wide open for Rein to jump onto her and pin her down with her spider limbs. The capture tape was prepared in her hands.

"Looks like I won this one, Time Queen."

She leaned forward, about to wrap her up-

 _"...guess again, little spider."_

-only to suddenly find herself gagged and tied up, now on the floor with her arms behind her back and her legs tucked together. She blinked, opening her mouth to say something, but she found her voice muffled. It took her a second to realize that there was something wrapped over her mouth and around her head. She looked over, finding Seraphina standing over her, leaning against the wall with her hand against her forehead, expression wrought in pain while the capture tape was held in her other hand.

Then it came to her. She had been played!

"Never underestimate your opponent or think you've won until the last moment." Seraphina said through gritted teeth. "Freakin' A... I'm gonna need some series pain killers for this."

* * *

 ** _"DEEEEEEEKUUUUUU!"_**

 _'How have his vocal cords not ripped apart yet?'_ Izuku wondered curiously, given how loud Katsuki had been screaming at the top of his lungs all this time. Surely his throat would have been sore by now, right? Oh, wait. He was in the middle of a fight, wasn't he? His head hurt so much from being throttled around that his brain was somewhat rattled. Katsuki came upon him, intending to bombard him straight through the floor and down to the lower level. Izuku evaded and countered with a punch that the ashen blonde caught with ease, using the next explosion to adjust his body and deliver a sideways heel kick to his jaw. His back hit the floor, but Izuku was quick to get back on his feet, tightening his fists as Katsuki came at him again.

They had been fighting for a few minutes and time was quickly running out. He hadn't heard back from Seraphina yet, so she must've been occupied still. He had to finish this quickly. But it didn't seem like Bakugo was willing to go down.

Then he received a message from Seraphina. "Mido-kun I got Rein. How's handling Baka-go?"

Izuku ducked underneath a swing and swung his leg to kick him away.

"L-let me get back to you on that, senpai!"

He charged Full Cowl and jumped away to give himself time to think. Okay, so Seraphina beat Rein, so all he had to do was to beat Katsuki here, or for Sera to grab the weapon and they win. "Stay!" Katsuki growled. "Still! Dammit!" He fired off another serious of powerful explosions, forcing Izuku to jump to evade them. Though he was quick to pursuit, continuing to use his explosive Quirk to propel him. In mid-air, Izuku was helpless. A sitting duck. Or so Katsuki believed as he dodged the oncoming hand with ease, grabbing the wrist and proceeding to pull his former friend in before he clenched his fist and sent it straight into the center of the ashen blonde's face.

"Smash!"

Katsuki was sent flying, smashing straight into the floor and bouncing off like a ball before landing on his stomach. Izuku landed on his feet, panting heavily and drenched in sweat as he looked at his hands. They were trembling. His body felt sore all over. His bones were shaking. His hands burned. They were red, raw and in pain. _'I can't keep this up much longer.'_ he thought with a grimace. _'Whenever I sparred with John or senpai, I could barely land a hit on them. With Kacchan, though...'_ He bit his lip, squeezing his hands as tightly as possible. They angrily protested, but he did his best to ignore the pain. _'I never knew it could hurt so much. Even at the lowest level, I still can't fully use One for All?!'_

"D-dammit..." Katsuki groaned, pushing himself off the ground and glaring up at Izuku with untold hate. "Why...the hell...won't you...just...go down?!"

"Because...because I...because I want to win...!" Izuku panted. "I want to be...the greatest...like All Might!"

"You...stupid...Quirkless...idiot!"

In one last attempt, fueled by adrenaline alone, Katsuki created the biggest explosion he could muster and propelled himself at Izuku, intent on smashing him to pieces. Izuku sucked in a breath. He couldn't afford to waste any more time. He had to finis this.

 _'Oh, this is going to hurt.'_

Red veins etched into his skin as he reared his arm back, falling into position. Then Katsuki came within range, hand outstretched for his head.

"DIE-!"

Izuku rammed his fist into Katsuki's stomach, pouring as much strength in it as he could muster, clenching his buttocks and screaming at the top of his lungs,

 ** _"SMAAAAAAAAASH!"_**

The air shook and the wind exploded around him, tossing debris into the air. The blonde teen gasped in pain from the punch, which was much stronger than any previous attack. He flew backward and crashed through several concrete walls. After the sixth wall, his body crashed against the floor. Groaning, he attempted to stand, only to soon collapse to the ground, unable to find the strength to push into his muscles.

"N-no..." he gritted his teeth, trying to push himself up. "N-no way... I can't...lose! N-not..." He looked up, bearing his fangs as he tried to muster up a glare, seeing Izuku cradling his arm, which was now dark red and marred with bruises. "N-not...to Deku!"

Then his body collapsed. The last thing he heard was All Might declaring, "HERO TEAM WINS!"

Izuku sighed in relief as he collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

"Thank...good…" With the adrenaline leaving his body, he collapsed to the floor and fell flat on his back. "...ow."

* * *

"THAT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!" Mina cheered alongside many other students in class 1-A, completely taken by the nail-biting battle that had just taken place. "Midoriya looked like he couldn't hurt a fly, but wow! He's so freaking awesome!"

"I was honestly quite worried there." Iida admitted with a faint smile as he adjusted his glasses. "While I wouldn't exactly call this a prime example of a simulation, I can say that his skills were exemplary."

"More like reckless." Momo gave her opinion. "The purpose behind this mock battle was to retrieve the bomb in the best manner possible. In the end, both teams were absorbed in their own battles that they just forgot about it."

Shoto nodded. "Not only that, but Bakugo was quite destructive. While he may be playing the role of villain, that much damage to his own base would be a disadvantage to him. More importantly, he was completely focused on Midoriya-san the entire time, choosing instead to follow on his personal grudge rather than apprehend him."

"Does it matter?" Eijiro grinned. "When it comes to a brawl between men, all bets are off!"

Jiro rolled her eyes. "Men." she muttered under her breath.

"Believe it or not Izuku needed this more than anything." John said with crossed arms.

All eyes turned to him. "What do you mean?" Remi questioned.

"For as long as I could remember, he always considered Bakugo to be more than just his friend. To him, Bakugo was also a rival. Someone he respected and admired, but also an obstacle. Because he didn't have a Quirk back then, he always treated Izuku like crap because he thought he was better than everyone." John snorted. "Idiot had an ego the size of Tokyo. Not once did he ever consider Izuku to be worth his time, or a rival."

"Really? I thought they were friends?"

"At one time, we all used to be. But then Bakugo got his Quirk and well...you can see what happened..."

"Oh." Remi let out an "ah" of understanding. "So, in other words, when he got his work, he became an ego maniac."

"Pretty much..."

All Might chuckled. "Well then, all opinions aside..." he said as he turned to address the class. "Who do you believe performed the best in this exercise?"

Momo raised her hand. "I believe that would be Rein Arrent, sensei."

"Care to explain, young miss?"

"It's because unlike her partner, Rein remained focus on her objective. She prepared traps to hinder the Heroes, and made sure to guard the weapon. While she was locked in combat with Seraphina, her opponent was focused more on he fight than the weapons retrieval. She also kept damage to a minimum aside from using the rubble to her advantage. Izuku and Katsuki however, were so immersed in their fight and caused massive damage to their surroundings, setting their personal agendas above he mission."

"Well said!" All Might clapped. "And a fair assessment!"

"Um, e-excuse me, but what about Seraphina-san and Deku?" Ochaco raised a hand, expression filled with worry. "Th-they're seriously injured, aren't they? Well, more Deku than Seraphina-san, but..."

"Not to worry! Our recovery bots are already on their way! Leave it to Recovery Girl!" All Might assured her before he suddenly felt his body tighten up. 'Oh shit!' "E-Excuse me for a moment, students! I have something to take care of! Young Iida, please oversee the rest!"

"E-excuse me?!"

Before Iida could protest, despite the honor, All Might bolted right out of the room at top speed. Once he was in the clear, safely away from prying eyes inside a hallway, his muscular form evaporated into steam, leaving behind the frail Toshinori Yagi. "That was close..." Yagi sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "Damn, this sucks... Talk about pathetic!"

He paused, then grinned. "Even still... I'm glad to see Young Midoriya is improving by leaps and bounds. He still needs control on his Quirk, but even so..."

He was impressed by his successor's progress. He really has come far in such a short time. He still needed to work on control better, as he can't take 100% just yet.

 _'But...'_ Yagi frowned as a dark thought crossed his mind. ' _How long before_ he _decides to make a move?'_

* * *

"Look at this...so sickening."

"So, the Symbol of Peace has decided to become a teacher at Yuuei..."

"Should we make ourselves known?"

"Not yet, Tomura. There are still steps to be taken. However...yes. I agree. I believe it is almost time to make ourselves known."

"Good. I'm getting tired of waiting to kill that son of a bitch..."

* * *

Episode 4: END

 _NEXT TIME!_

 _Arlo: So, you're the one who changed Seraphina..._

 _Katsuki: Che! Fucking prick!_

 _Iida: If memory serves, he is from Class 1-B. Arlo Johansen, I believe._

 _John: Remind me again, why did I come to Yuuei?_

 _Ochaco: Wow... John-kun's pretty scary!_

 _Remi: Hey! Don't use my Quirk without telling me!_

Episode 5: The Meeting of Kings! The Tyrant's Battlefield!

 _Iida & Ochaco: Go beyond your limits!_ **_PLUS ULTRA!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_With the emergence of Quirks and the rise of super-powered humans, the profession that had once been in comic books had become reality._

 _"Heroes."_

 _Yuuei Academy is one of the many schools that train powerful youths, who aspire to become heroes._

 _Among their number is Izuku Midoriya, a boy chosen by the Symbol of Peace: All Might and John Doe, a boy who once used his power for selfish gain._

 _One is destined to become the greatest hero in the world, and the other..._

 _...this is their story._

* * *

 **A Boku no Hero Academia x UnOrdinary Crossover:**

 **"My Hero Academia: The UnOrdinary Ones"**

 _ **Episode 5: The Meeting of Kings! The Tyrant's Battlefield!**_

* * *

After All Might had left, Iida had done his task as requested, though he was incredibly stiffed as he orchestrated the class. He was honored that such a great man as the Number One Hero had given him the chance, but he still felt worried. To this end, he requested that Momo helped him in directing the class and proceed forward with the matches. Her help was greatly appreciated, and before long everyone was critiquing and commenting on the matches as they happened.

John, of course, had been only somewhat interested. Watching everyone fight had given him a good idea as to how they all used their Quirks, and for the most part, they had an impressive understanding. There were still several places in which they could improve, but that was also the reason why they were here at Yuuei. To learn how to improve their Quirks and become heroes. Well, except for himself. He was perfectly fine in his social standing. Digging his hands into the pockets in his gym sweats, he watched the match between Team B and G progress. Or rather, how quickly it ended.

 _'The level of control and power is beyond scary.'_ he thought. Shoto had requested Mezo to step aside as he proceeded to freeze the entire building solid. Denki's feet had been trapped in ice and couldn't move. Kyoka had managed to free herself using her Quirk to destroy the ice around her feet and attempted to free Denki, though she was soon captured by Shoto before she even had the chance. _'He must have trained extensively to use that Quirk to its fullest potential. And this is just one side of his power. Just how powerful is his other side, I wonder...?'_

"Everyone's pretty fired up about fighting each other, huh?" Remi asked as she approached him, surprising him. "I mean, did you see that last fight? Sera and that Midoriya kid got everyone all pumped up!"

"Yeah, I guess." John shrugged. "You're Remi Sahashima, right?"

The girl grinned. "The one and only~" she said. "And you're the guy Sera hangs out with, right? John Doe-kun! Nice to meet you, partner!"

"You too..." He nodded. "I heard from Sera that you and her met during one of your Turf Battles. Is that true?"

Turf Battles. A term used for sparring matches between students of various junior high schools to establish unofficial territory and bragging rights. They were sanctioned by the schools and organized by a select group of students as an unofficial method for students to get used to their Quirks through a series of sparring matches. They take place in controlled settings and environments where there is no possibility of disrupting the peace and are remotely monitored to ensure minimal collateral damage and injuries.

These Turf Battles have also met with some controversy by the public, as students can potentially use their Quirks in a reckless manner. However, precautions have been implemented to ensure minimal damages and injuries, and consequences should the matches go too far.

Other than that, Turf Battles have grown to become an up inter-school system competition to demonstrate who is the best of their school. In the students eyes, however, it is a chance for them to be flashy with their Quirk and obtain recognition, many striving to become their school's Royals.

The term Royal, is used to determine the strongest four students in the Turf Battle circuit. It is based on the playing card system. The King is the strongest male student. The Queen is the strongest female student. The Jack is the runner up. The Ace is the strongest student overall.

Remi nodded. "Yep~ She totally beat me and Arlo when we first met." she said, yet in spite of her words, she smiled proudly. "But I met her a few times after that and we managed to hit it off. Let me tell you, it was hard work, defrosting that ice queen!"

"I know." John agreed. It wasn't easy for him. When they first met, she beat him into the wall for purposefully dropping the slice of cake she wanted from him. Then they were paired as project partners for Shakespeare and grew even more frustrated with one another. Then she saw him back talk two girls who insulted her, and eventually, things calmed down. They ended up getting an A minus, but they celebrated with Boba, and John officially defrosted that icy exterior.

All it took was to convince her that no one was perfect, and anyone who claimed otherwise was in delusion.

Remi giggled, taking her spot next to him. "So, John-kun!" she said, striking up a conversation with the boy that had caught her interest. "Did you ever participate in any Turf Wars while you were in Orudera? I mean, with your Quirk, I bet you were King!"

Technically, she was right. He was the King. At least, in Bostin. Putting on an anxious smile, he waved a hand. "Oh no, I never participated in any Turf Wars. And I wasn't the King of Orudera. Believe it or not, it was Bakugo."

"...I'm sorry, what?" Remi's mind blanked out. Surely, she couldn't have misheard that, right? "Bakugo? As in, that really foul-mouthed violent blonde that tried blowing up Midoriya-kun earlier? That Bakugo? HE was the King of Orudera?!"

"Yeah. He was. And he always tried to make a point that he was the strongest by trying defeat Sera, who was Ace. Never worked out."

"But why was he King in the first place? With an attitude like that?"

"Dunno. Never bothered to think too much on it." That, and he never bothered to pay attention to the Royals at Orudera whatsoever. "What about you, Remi? Were you the Queen at your school?"

"Yep! I was Queen, Arlo was Ace, and my friends Isen and Blyke were Jack and King respectively." She smiled. "More importantly..." Her sudden change in tone surprised John. He was even more surprised when she started to run her fingers through his hair. "How do you get your hair so floofy? It's like Bakugo's but it looks much softer..." She said in awe.

"Uh...huh?...w-well..." John...really had no idea how to answer that. The main reason for his current hairstyle was because Sera had taken the liberty of throwing out all of his hair gel and forbid him bpfrom buying any more. When he asked her why, her answer confused him.

 _"You look better without a pound of gunk in your hair."_

Blushing, he gently pried Remi's hands out of his locks. "It's always been like this." he told her with some embarrassment. "Until recently, I kept it gelled until Sera decided it was better to just have it out naturally."

"I agree with Sera! Especially if its so floofy!" Remi said with fervor, eyes sparkling. "It feels like a pillow!"

"Th-thank you...I guess?" John didn't quite know how to respond. No one ever said his hair was like a pillow before. "Actually, speaking of Sera, where is she?"

"I think she's still over at the Infirmary with Midoriya."

* * *

"Wow, you really did a number on yourself, Mido-kun..." Seraphina commented as she stared at Izuku's prone form on the bed. "I can't tell which was caused by One for All and what was caused by Baka-go."

Izuku laughed weakly. "Y-you should see Kacchan..." he said, trying to put on the brave and cool face, only to fail miserably as his face scrunched into pain. "Ow... It-it really hurts, senpai..."

"That's what you get for pushing yourself too far. You can't handle anything beyond 3% at the moment without your body breaking down. That last Smash wrecked your arm."

"I-I know... Recovery Girl said it would be a while before it fully heals."

"Well, at least you'll be able to go home later. But let me tell you, she wasn't very happy when you arrived like that."

Wasn't that the truth? The old woman looked positively miffed at how reckless he was in his fight. When he regained consciousness, she scolded him for not being careful after healing his injuries. Truthfully, the recovery process would've been longer as he wasn't healed completely due to a lack of stamina. Fortunately, her assistant gave him a special drink that amended that issue...not before glaring at and berated him for his recklessness too. Honestly, he didn't think anyone could possibly have been that scary since the time he first met Seraphina when she was in a foul mood.

"So..." Izuku swallowed. "How's Kacchan?"

Seraphina sighed as she shook her head, raising her hands. "He was bruised and hurt all to high hell, but he refused to stay in bed." she said. "Recovery Girl sent someone after him, but I've got no idea where he is."

"I see..." Looking down at his hands - the hands that defeated Katsuki, Izuku couldn't help but feel as if he had cheated. He had won against his former childhood friend, but in a way, it hadn't been by his own hands. Rather, it had been done by the power given to him. A power he still felt he didn't deserve. "Hey, senpai...?"

"Yea, Mido-kun?"

"S-should I tell Kacchan...t-that I only won because of this power?"

"I don't think so. Doing that means you would potentially reveal One for All. And Uncle Yagi emphasized not to do that." She answered as she cradled her head with an ice pack. Even she was still reeling from the after effects of her own Quirk. "Besides... That'd probably just piss off Baka-go even more. You know how prideful he can be."

"I know but..."

"Mido-kun." Seraphina gently placed a hand on his curly mess of hair, a sad smile on her face. "I know you want to, but... I think just telling about your Quirk will just hurt his pride. After all, he lost to the kid he had been tormenting ever since he figured out you were Quirkless."

Izuku didn't respond. He had no counter to that.

Not when she was right...

* * *

When it was finally John's turn to participate in battle, Iida found himself baffled that the system they were using determined that the Hero Team would be him and Ochaco, while John and Remi would be the Villain Team.

"This sucks." Remi pouted as she kicked at the ground. "How come we get to play as the bad guys?"

John shook his head. He wondered of this was some sort of irony for his past as the Tyrant?

No, now is not the time to ponder. They had a match to win.

"So, got any ideas?" Remi asked. "If I remember right, Tenya-kun's Quirk lets him run super fast if he gets enough speed and Ochaco-chan can nullify the gravity of anything she touches."

John nodded. "Yeah. In which case, we can't leave too many objects lying out in the open. She could easily use them as projectiles. For Iida, I'd suggest fighting in a tight space, but..."

"Yeah. We can't leave the weapon unattended. Plus, if we set up barricades, Ochaco is just going to make them float."

"If we can't stop them with physical objects...maybe there's a different way."

"What do you mean?"

The gears inside John's head were beginning to spin. Already, plans were starting to formulate in his brain. Scenario after scenario, he looked at each possibility, fingers drumming along his elbow.

Eventually, a smile stretched across his face. "I've got one idea..."

* * *

"So...how are we going to handle this, Iida-kun?" Ochaco asked her team mate. Both teens were situated outside of the building and took their chance to prepare for the training exercise.

"I am unsure at the moment. From what I recall from yesterday, Sahashima can utilize electricity while Doe can copy any Quirk he sees and understands. For all we know, he already has the Quirks of all of our classmates at his disposal." he reasoned. "They're both tricky opponents, to be sure. With that in mind, securing the weapon should be our top priority." Ochaco nodded in agreement. He seemed quite powerful, thus the two knew better than to try and face John head on. The same could be said about Remi, though Iida was sure he could perhaps find a way to subdue her. "Out of curiosity, Uraraka-san, does your Quirk have a weight limit?"

"Weight limit?" Ochaco asked. "You mean, if I can nullify the gravity of heavy objects?" Iida nodded. "Well, I can lift pretty much anything, but I have to expend more energy if its bigger. For example, I can lift hundreds of tiny little pebbles and not get nauseous. But if I were to try and lift something like that Zero Pointer from the Entrance Exam, I'd throw up immediately."

"I see. So mass is a limitation of your Quirk." He hummed in thought. "But are you capable of making a single person float without ill effects?"

"I can. Why? Do you have a plan in mind?"

"It's a thought, but...what if we attempt a rush tactic?"

"A rush?" the gravity girl asked, tilting her head. "How do you mean?"

"I mean, what if we moved in quickly and attacked first, giving them barely any time to retaliate? You could make me float and I can propel myself with my engines to soar above their heads. And once I get past them, you can drop me, and I'll sprint towards the weapon and retrieve it."

"Oh! That sounds like a wonderful idea." Immediately, she was on board with the plan. In truth, Iida wasn't quite confident it. So many things could go wrong. What if John and Remi had actually planned for that scenario? What if the plan would fail? The more he thought about it, the more uncertain he became.

In the end, however, the young man just needed to rely on faith.

* * *

"The match is finally starting!" Eijirio grinned wildly. "Man, I hope this'll be as good as Izuku's! That was manly as hell!"

Denki grinned alongside him, also eager to see how the match would unfold. "I know! I wanna see what Sahashima is capable of! As a fellow Lightning user, I'm curious!"

"I'm more interested in what Doe can do." Tsuyu commented. "He did say he can use any Quirk that he has full understanding of, right?"

Momo nodded, putting a hand to her chin. "Yes, but he also said he can suffer from the same drawbacks as we do. I wonder how many Quirks he's copied?"

"Well, we're about to find out." Jiro commented. "The Hero Team's already in the building. What do you suppose Doe-kun and Sahashima-chan's plan of attack is?"

"Hard to say, but the best counter for Uraraka would be to remove any potential item for her to use as a projectile, since her Quirk lets her nullify gravity."

"Yeah, but wouldn't Doe-san have already thought of that and took precautions?" Toru questioned.

"Maybe. But there's also a chance that Iida may have a backup plan."

* * *

"So far so good..." Ochaco hummed as they progressed down the hallway. "Did they set traps?"

"Not from what I tell." Tenya responded as he scanned the area. So far, the vicinity was clear. "They may have placed them near where they're storing the weapon."

It was a fair assessment. And assuming they were playing the role of villain, the weapon should be deeper inside. Truthfully, though, Tenya worried that this wouldn't be so easy, especially given who his opponents were.

Even so, he would fight them. Otherwise, he would be a failure as a hero-in-training.

As they walked deeper into the building, Ochaco stopped them and pointed up ahead. "Hey! Look there!" she exclaimed. Tenya narrowed his eyes, only to step back in surprise when he saw Remi standing in their way, goggles over her eyes and a goofy grin on her face.

"Yoooo~! What's shakin, you two?"

"Sahashima-San?! So you're here to ambush us?!"

"Yep!" the girl bobbed her head. "Sorry, but you guys are going down!"

[Play: Kokuten - Naruto Shippuden OST]

Tenya was the first to react, moving in front of Ochaco and spinning his body around, empowered by the boost of speed delivered by his Engine Quirk. At the same time, Remi charged straight at them, meeting Tenya's roundhouse kick with a kick of her own. "Ooh, your quick!" Remi said with a childish smile as he bounced away. "But lightning's way faster than some car engine!"

To prove her point, electricity crackled along her body. She moved with even greater speed than before and punched Tenya across the cheek. In seconds, the glasses-wearing student was sent flying, though he slid to a stop as he grounded his feet into the ground. As he looked up, he found Remi already in front of him, a fist reared back. Using his own skills, Tenya dodged the punch and proceeded to knock her away with a kick, his Quirk flaring to increase its speed. Remi blocked with her arms, lessening the blow. When she hit the ground, Tenya came straight at her, Engine pumping at full power. Once he gained enough speed, he jumped up and delivered a spinning roundhouse. Remi managed to deflect it in time, grabbing Tenya's ankle shortly after, surprising him.

"Gotcha~!" Remi smirked, throwing Tenya straight into a wall, which shattered upon impact and leaving him strewn about on the floor. "Like I said, lightning's faster!"

 _'Incredible...'_ the teen thought as he got up to his feet, shaking off the damage. _'Her Quirk doesn't increase her strength, but also her speed as well. She might be as fast as me when I'm using Second Gear.'_

Tenya straightened his helmet as he tried to reorient himself. If Second Gear won't cut it, he may have to Overclock his engines. But if he did that, then they would stall too soon. He had to time to right. "Iida-kun!" Ochaco called out. "Remember the plan!"

' _That's right!_ ' he berated himself. _'Our objective isn't to fight them! We're to capture the weapon!'_

He nearly let himself get carried away. He needed to stick to the plan. However, in order to follow it, they needed to reach the weapon storeroom. It was obvious that Remi was there to keep them preoccupied until time ran out. "Plan?" Remi tilted her head. "Whatever you guys got in mind, I'm not gonna let you past me." Cracking her knuckles, Remi bounced her feet as electricity danced around her body. "Now, let's get this show on the road!"

She zoomed over to where Tenya was and struck him in the chest with an open palm strike. As he flew back, she zipped over to a panicked Ochaco and kicked her away.

"Kyah!"

"Uraraka-san!" Tenya cried in worry. When Remi set her sights back on him, he moved as quickly as he could, moving as fast as possible before Remi came at him. Ducking underneath her swing, letting his body glide under her arm and his legs grinding against the floor in mid-slide, he managed to reach Ochaco. "Are you alright?!"

"I-I'm fine..." the girl told him, in spite of the dizzy look in her eyes. "Owwie... She hits hard!"

Remi giggled, rubbing the back of her neck apologetically. "Sorry 'bout that~ Big Bro tells me I have trouble holding back."

"So we've noticed!" Tenya rolled his eyes before he pulled Ochaco up to her feet. Together, the two looked at Remi wearily, glancing at the hallway and entrance leading further into their layer. "She's quite strong... Even if we follow the plan, I'm worried. Are you sure you can do this, Uraraka-san?"

Ochaco nodded strongly, eyes blazing with determination. "Heroes never give up, right? So, let's get dangerous!"

Tenya could only smile at that before he nodded. As Ochaco maneuvered behind him, he fell into a runner position, leaving Remi to tilt her head. "What are they doing?" she questioned before shrugging. If they were lined up, it just meant she could hit them both in one shot. Tapping her toe against the floor, she began to charge up electricity in her leg. All Tenya had to do was come at her at full speed, and then she could counter him and send him flying straight back at the gravity girl. Once that was done, she could finish them both off in one fell swoop. It would extent a lot of energy, true, but she'd still have plenty to spare. And she wasn't in any danger of overusing her Quirk, either.

As the two heroes-in-training prepared for their next move, Ochaco looked at Tenya in worry. "I can only delay my Quirk for about two seconds. You'll have to move quick, Iida-kun." she told him as she put her hands on his back. The uptight teen nodded strongly, narrowing his eyes. "You ready to go?"

"Hai. On my mark. One..."

Ochaco swallowed. "Two...!"

"Three!" She activated her Quirk as Tenya clocked his engines into second gear right off the bat. The sudden burst of speed surprised Remi, but it didn't take much to alter her course of action.

"You're mine!" She dashed right in front of him, rearing her arm back to deliver a lariat. She didn't expect Tenya to jump forward, leaping over her. And she didn't expect his body to go flying forward, spinning wildly at the same speed he was going at earlier without touching the ground. "E-eh? Eh?!" She looked back at Ochaco, her mouth opening wide when she saw a pink outline around the girl's body, hands clasped together while her shoulders shook. "Aaaaah! You're using your Quirk to make him float! That's not fair at all!"

 _[Is everything okay, Sahashima-san?]_

"No, it isn't!" she whined with a pout. "Iida-kun got past me and he's heading straight for you!"

* * *

"That's not a bad move, using her Quirk to erase Iida's gravity to make him float and then boost right over her." Shoto commented, nodding in approval. "Not to mention, with how fast he's going now without any friction to stop him, Sahashima-san can't catch up to him. By the time Uraraka cancels her Quirk, he'll be too far ahead."

"Yeah, it was awesome!" Minoru bobbed his head before he looked back at the screen in worry. "But now, she's gotta fight Remi-chan! Isn't she, like, in serious trouble?!"

"Grape boy's gotta point." Jiro shared his sentiments, folding her arms. "Ochaco's physical skills, compared to Remi, aren't exactly up to snuff. She's gonna get owned, fast."

Yugo frowned heavily. "Yes, but you can say the same about Doe-kun as well. He can copy virtually any Quirk he's seen and understand. Iida is terribly outmatched."

"So based on this, it can be safe to assume that the Villain team will win, right?" Ojiro questioned.

"Most likely. Unless they manage to surprise them somehow."

* * *

Tenya had arrived at what he assumed to be the primary base of the Villain Team. It looked like an open space, littered with debris and other objects strewn about. The weapon was in plain sight, with John standing right in front of it, leaning up against it with his hands in his pockets.

"Yo. Wondered what took you."

"Doe-san." Iida nodded his head in acknowledgement. "I would congratulate you on having Sahashima-san intercept us so early on, but I'll play the part of a Hero to the fullest." Clenching a fist in front of his face, he took up a battle stance. "I will defeat you!"

John raised an eyebrow before he shrugged. He didn't get why everyone was so passionate about this whole heroics thing, but far be it from him to pull them out from their dreams. Rolling up his sleeves, the teen sucked in a breath before his eyes began to glow, followed by a black aura seeping around his arms. Skin became consumed in shadows, and fingers extended out to become sharpened fangs.

"Then by all means..." He taunted, the shadows and glowing eyes making his appearance menacing. "Bring it on."

Tenya wasted no time, going straight at John while remaining in First Gear. John remained steadfast as gusts of Black wind swirled along his transformed limbs. He rested his arms back and swung them in an X formation, blasting forth blades of sharp wind. Swiftly, Tenya lowered his body, falling into a slide and barely avoiding the x-shaped wind blades before somersaulting forward and resuming his sprint. _'If I can just get close enough to him, I can switch to Second Gear and reach the weapon!'_ he thought, running as fast as he could. ' _That is, assuming he doesn't trip me up with his Quirk!'_

"How about this?" Dismissing the shadows along his arms, John slammed his hands into the ground. In the next second, Tenya found himself about to run into a wall that suddenly emerged out from the ground without warning. He was able to change directions fairly quickly before he smacked into it, but as he moved around, more walls started to emerge out from the ground. "Your Quirk lets you speed up the longer you go running, right?" John asked him while Tenya ran around the walls, trying to maintain his current speed. "In that case, all I have to do is make sure you don't reach to speed!"

John created more obstacles to impede Tenya's movement. The bespectacled teen was slowly becoming boxed in.

 _'This Quirk... It's Cementoss'!'_ Tenya recognized, forced to find himself speeding through a maze. _'So, he even has the Quirks of Pro Heroes! Even so...!'_

He pulled himself together and sped through the various twists and turns under a constant acceleration. He could not afford to slow down now. Finally, he saw a gap in the formed walls and took his chance. He dashed forward and made it out.

But what he saw before him caused him to lose his footing and soon found himself tangled in something. It was a web of metallic wires strewn across the room, pinned by metal nails and throwing knives. It all originated from John's outstretched arm.

"I knew Yaoyaorzu's Quirk was flexible, but this is crazy. Good things these wires are easy to understand to make." He grinned before another pulse rang through his body. His eyes glowed as black lightning danced across his fingertips. "And you're done."

The electric current ran through the wires and quickly reached Tenya. The teen spasmed as he got electrocuted. Fortunately, the current wasn't strong enough to severely injure Tenya, but it was enough to incapacitate him for the time being.

Loosening his grip on the wires, Tenya unceremoniously fell to the ground, unmoving and slightly smoking. "Huh. Maybe I overdid it a bit...?" he wondered to himself before he put his hand to his earpiece. "Sahashima-san, are you finished on your end?"

 _[Yep! Ochaco managed to use her Quirk on me for a while, but I managed to wrap her up nice and tight like a Christmas present!]_ Remi informed. John could practically hear the grin on her face. _[How about you?]_

"Finished up beating Iida, using Yaoyaorzu and your Quirk together. I have to admit, I'm kind of glad we didn't have to fight her. This Quirk of hers can be something else!"

 _[Eeeeeeh?! You used my Quirk?!]_ Remi squawked in disbelief. _[Oi oi! Don't use my Quirk without telling me! I'll sue you for copyright!]_

John chuckled weakly. "Okay, okay..." Who knew that Reminwas so touchy about this sort of thing?

"Villain Team Wins!"

* * *

"...damn." Sato whistled, clearly impressed. "Gotta admit, that was one hell of a fight."

Toru turned and stared at him, gawking. At least, that's what everyone else thought she was doing, since they couldn't really see her face. "Are you serious? That was totally one-sided!"

"Yeah. The Hero Team was complete outmatched!" Denki cried. "It's like the opposite of Todoroki's match!"

"Doe-san's Quirk makes him formidable." Fumikage nodded. "To utilize all of those Quirks with alarming efficiency despite his recent acquisition of them."

"One thing's for sure." Sero said, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm really glad John's here at the school trying to be a hero rather than become a villain."

Multiple heads nodded in agreement. They didn't want to imagine what kind of villain John could become with a Quirk like Wild Card. The idea of someone like that, capable of mimicking any power at his disposal, was a terrifying one to imagine.

Unknown to the students, however, there had been someone else watching the fight from afar. It was Katsuki, no worse for wear, his mask having been forgone while he stared at the screen with a blank expression. He stared at the results of the fight before he scowled and turned away, leaving the room unnoticed by anyone.

 _'Dammit. Dammit dammit dammit!'_ the ashen blonde silently stewed. _'Everyone here... They're strong. Yaoyorozu, Gravity Girl, that Half-and-Half bastard, that fucking cheater and-'_

 _ **Deku.**_

When he realized where his train of thought was going, Katsuki stopped dead in his tracks, as if suddenly coming to an epiphany. That's right. He had lost to Izuku, hadn't he? The first loss he had ever suffered, ever since he developed his Quirk...and it was at the hands of the Quirkless brat he had tormented all these years. It this had been him last year, he would've scoffed and called the thing impossible. He was the King of Orudera for crying out loud!

But now...now he wasn't so sure. Heroes were supposed to win. They always win. Just look at All Might.

Yet he had lost. To Deku. How could he become the greatest Hero if he loses?

This wasn't how things were supposed to go. He was supposed to breeze right through Yuuei and become the new top hero, wasn't he? He was supposed to be the best, wasn't he?

So then...why?!

Why were there people so much better than him?!

Why was DEKU better than him?!

He punched the wall next to him out of frustration and anguish. His emotions were in turmoil. His jaw was clenched shut and his eyes bulged with unshed tears. "Dammit!" he hissed, punching the wall again and again. "Dammit! Dammit!"

He was filled with so much rage, frustration, and anguish that he didn't know what to do. He had big dreams here at Yuuei, but after today...he felt like it had all just been thrown down the drain.

"Punching the wall out of frustration isn't going to help you, Young Bakugo!"

"What?!" The blonde teen spun around in anger. But that rage fizzled out when he saw the speaker. It was All Might. His Silver Age costume was gone, replaced by a yellow pinstripe suit with a blue tie, which looked to be straining to fit on his muscular frame. "All Might?" He questioned. What was he doing here? Didn't he have to leave because of something?

"I did not expect to see a distraught child upon returning from my appointment." The number one hero commented. While it was true he was nearing his limit from earlier, it was thanks to Recovery Girl's assistant, Darren that his time limit was extended. Those tonics of his were true miracle workers. It was thanks to them that he could extend his time in this form by another hour or two at most. But even then the effects were still temporary. He had, at best, a few ten more minutes before his body burned out and he'd be forced back into Toshinori Yagi.

Of course, that wasn't his primary concern. Right now, he was more concerned about the frustrated youth in front of him.

"You appear troubled by something, Young Bakugo. Is something the matter?"

Katsuki scowled. Dammit, of all the people who had to see him like this! This had to be the worst day of his fucking life! "I lost...to Deku of all people!" he got out, hands shaking. "I lost to a Quirkless shit...!"

"...I see..." So this what this was about. Katsuki felt inadequate because he lost to someone he originally believed was, by all means, Quirkless. He realized he displayed evidence of a large ego before, but to this extent. "...this was your first true loss, wasn't it?"

Katsuki wanted to argue, saying he didn't lose. That Deku had cheated. But that would just be playing the sore loser. He had far too much pride in himself for that. Instead, all he could do was just growl in anger. "It doesn't make any sense... I was the best at Orudera! I could beat Seraphina in a head on match if she took me seriously! And that bastard John cheated me out of a win!"

He looked at his hand, shaking in anger before he balled it into a fist and screamed, slamming it into the wall and releasing an explosion. The Number One Hero promptly panicked. "Ack! Young Bakugo! I understand you're angry, but that is no reason to damage school property!" Even if the walls were reinforced several times over to withstand even a ballistic missile strike, it was the thought that counts, right?

But Katsuki ignored him. "Heroes aren't supposed to lose, dammit!" he seethed. "Heroes always win! They keep fighting until the villain's just paste on the ground, right?! So why...? Why the fuck did I lose?! ESPECIALLY TO SOMEONE LIKE DEKU?!"

All Might then understood why the student was so distraught. A Hero must always win...that is the core of his beliefs. It's not a bad thing, since Heroes do need to win to protect the populace. But even so...

"Young Bakugo...a Hero is more than someone who prevails against villainy." All Might said, surprising the teen. "While it is true that to protect citizens, a Hero must defeat the villain and save the day. But it is much more than that. If it were only that, then anyone who is powerful, whether with Benevolent or malicious intentions, would be called a Hero. Every now and then, the Hero will fail his task. Sometimes, he is defeated by the villain. Sometimes, they fail to stop a disaster from occurring. Sometimes, they fail to save someone. The point, Young Bakugo, is that defeat is common for Heroes. It is a step that we all must take, in order to learn from mistakes and improve ourselves."

Folding his arms, All Might put on the biggest grin he could muster. "You lost a single match? So what? There are plenty more fights and situations ahead of you! The only thing you can do, is to grow! Become stronger! Faster! Smarter! For every defeat you suffer, you take not a step backward, but a step forward!"

Leaning forward, the burly man put his hands on Katsuki's shoulders. "If you want to become a Hero, my boy, then never falter! Even if you're beaten to the ground! Even if your arms are broken! Even if your legs are severed! Even if your eyes are gouged! You must keep moving forward!"

For the first time in his life, Katsuki was stunned speechless. Being given a pep talk over a defeat was hardly a consolation to him. Hell, he hated the pity, but the fact that it was coming from All Might, the man he wished to surpass, was more than enough reason to listen. On the one hand, his words conflicted with his believes. Losing was natural? That he should learn from his mistakes? How did that make any sense whatsoever? Didn't All Might become that strong because he never failed? On the other hand, he knew better than to refute the Number One Hero's words. There was a meaning behind them. Something about it resonated with him.

 _'...yeah, that's right.'_ Katsuki realized. _'This ain't gonna be the last time Deku and I fight. We're both aiming for the same goal here. Along with every other extra in this dump.'_

For some strange reason...the idea got his blood pumping. A rematch with Izuku? Fighting against Seraphina, having her take him seriously for once? Making John settle their score? Surpassing every last one of them?

 _'Suits me just fine!'_

* * *

Once the exercises were over and classes had resumed once again for the students of Yuuei Academy, John found himself reuniting with Seraphina, who was hanging out with Izuku, Ochaco and Tenya. "Yo." he greeted, waving a hand at the group of four as he walked over to them. "How's your arm doing, Izuku?"

Bashfully, the curly-haired teen rubbed the back of his neck. "Still kind of hurts... Darren-san and Recovery Girl were tearing into me when senpai brought me over. I'm supposed to meet Darren-san in the Nurse's office tomorrow morning."

"Darren?" the former King of Bostin asked before his eyes widened. "Wait, you don't mean Ezekiel Darren, do you? The Nightmare Hero?"

Seraphina snickered. "Yep. Turns out he's Recovery Girl's assistant."

"Seriously?!" John gawked. "How is he her assistant?! His Quirk doesn't have anything to do with healing!"

"It's actually because of the tonics he makes." Seraphina answered. "They help accelerate the human healing process and even restore stamina, allowing Recovery Girl's Quirk to work more effectively." She then leaned in and whispered in his ear. "His tonics are miracle workers. He even made some that could prolong uncle's Hero form."

"Oh..."

"He's lot scarier in person..." Izuku shuddered.

"Well, given how's he's called the Niggtmare Hero...makes sense. But I think he's just really upset you got as hurt as you did."

Ochaco giggled, trying to picture the sight in her head. However, as she did, she heard a strange sound. "Ara? Do you guys hear that?"

"Here what?"

"... _iiiiiiii_ _ **IIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE**_!"

John groaned. "Are you serious?"

Without warning, Seraphina twisted her body around and delivered a haymaker, straight to a charging Katsuki's face. The resulting punch, coupled with her briefly stopping time, caused the explosive brat to go flying, bouncing off the ground repeatedly before he crashed into the wall. "E-eh?!" Tenya and Ochaco gawked at the sight, the former adjusting his glasses to make sure he was seeing properly. "B-Bakugo?!"

"He got his ass handed to him earlier, and now he's back for more?" John questioned, finding himself to be slightly impressed by Katsuki's resilience. Either he was very determined...or he was starting to become immune to Seraphina's constant knock out hits. "I can't tell if that's just impressive, or if he's just one big glutton for punishment."

"Seraphina! John!" Katsuki roared as he climbed back up to his feet, bearing his fangs. "Fight me!"

Tenya's jaw became unhinged. "You attack Kruez-san out of the blue, and NOW you're asking for a fight?!" he said, utterly taken aback by the ashen blonde's lack of common sense. "I've asked this before, but are you sure you belong in the Hero Course?!"

"Zip it, Four Eyes!" he snapped back before he returned his glare to the two strongest students in his class. "Fight me! Right here and now!"

Seraphina sighed heavily, palming her forehead. "I so do not have time for you." she said, clearly exhausted. "I'm still dealing with a migraine the size of Arizona. Just shut up for the rest of day, Baka-go."

"What?!"

Panicking, Izuku immediately got between the two of them. "H-hey! No fighting on campus!" he said, trying to play peacemaker. "I-it's already been a long day! Why don't we save this for-"

"Izuku!" Suddenly, John and Seraphina looked at Katsuki with large eyes. The aforementioned curly haired teen blinked for a moment, hearing a familiar voice talking to him, but the way he addressed him was grossly unfamiliar. Owlishly, they looked at Katsuki, who glared at Izuku with great intensity. There was animosity, but there was something else there also. Something that they had never seen before. "Let's get something straight! Just because I lost to a Quirkless shit like you doesn't mean you can get a swelled head over it, understand?! The next time..." He slammed his hand into his palm, releasing an explosion as a result. "I'll crush you!"

"K-Kacchan..."

"I won't let this be the end for me! I'll get stronger and crush you! Then I'll crush Seraphina! Finally, we WILL settle our score, you cheater!"

Silence reigned over the front gate as the three students of Orudera stared at Katsuki in shock. This was not like the Katsuki they all knew. Sure he's still loud and prideful, but he's determined and driven. Even more so than before. Hell, he even accepted his loss against Izuku!

And more importantly...

 _He called Izuku by his name._

In all the time they've known him, he's never done that before.

"And don't you forget it!" He yelled before he turned to leave. Before he left, however, Izuku finally spoke up.

"Kacchan!" The teen stopped and turned. "I...I've always been jealous of you! You're strong, you have a strong quirk, and you want to be a hero! Until recently...I only could've dreamed to be someone like you! But...I've had people told me that I could become a Hero! So I won't disappoint them! I won't be in your shadow forever! I WILL become a Hero! Just you watch!" He shouted in sheer determination and will, something that surprised his friends and even himself.

Katsuki was still, only for a moment, before he looked over his shoulder. A toothy smirk spread across his face, red eyes narrowing. "Then bring it, shitty Deku!"

"...yare yare. What a commotion." All heads snapped over to who just spoke. The moment Seraphina saw him, her expression fell into a grimace.

Approaching them was a teenager with medium length, curly blonde hair, blue eyes, and had small, light blue stud earrings. He was dressed in the Yuuei uniform and had his school bag at his side. His expression was set in a condescending frown.

"Just what do you want, Arlo?" The time user spoke.

"What do you mean? I was just leaving for home when I heard all of this dramatic commotion at the entrance. You lot truly are not subtle in the least." the blonde, now called Arlo, replied with a shrug. "It's quite the racket."

"Who's that?" Ochaco whispered to Tenya, feeling rather nervous. "He's not in our class, is he?"

"If memory serves, he is from Class 1-B." he answered, also tense. He wasn't sure why, but something about this person unnerved him greatly. "Arlo Johansen, I believe."

"Heh. Must be famous for those in Class 1-A to hear of me." The blonde grinned. "But that's beside the point. How are you doing, Seraphina? I haven't heard much from you since our Turf War days."

Seraphina clicked her tongue. "Like I told Remi. I gave up on those stupid games." She narrowed her eyes as she folded her arms. "And what are you doing here, Arlo? Last I checked, you were the last person I expected to come to Yuuei."

"I didn't see a reason why I shouldn't. There are plenty of people that can give me a challenge, after all. It's the perfect way to hone my abilities." Arlo replied with a smirk before he looked at Katsuki, who promptly growled. "It's been a while, Firecracker."

"Fucking prick!" Katsuki shot back. "Go die in a ditch!"

"You know him, Bakugo, Kreuez?" Tenya questioned.

"Yeah, like he said, we know one mother from when we took part in Turf Wars. I was the Ace of my school while Bakago was King."

"And while Seraphina was the one who beat me, Firecracker didn't even cut it."

"You lookin' for a fight, Turtle Chicken?!"

Izuku, Ochaco and Tenya all tilted their heads, question marks dancing over their heads. "Turtle Chicken?"

"It's because of his Quirk, Barrier." Seraphina answered. "He went by the nickname, Sentinel, because his Quirk lets him manipulate quantum particles to create barriers that can deflect attacks. The attacker would experience the impact of their own attacks and cause damage to them in turn."

"Hey now, don't go giving away my secrets." Arlo joked, though his smile betrayed what he was conveying. He then looked at the group before him, and his smile grew thinner. "Is this the company you keep nowadays, Seraphina? You've lowered your standards."

Tenya's face grew stone-cold. "And what does that mean, if I may ask?"

"I mean, why would she associate with people obviously weaker than her." He replied simply.

Izuku frowned in displeasure. While he was fully aware of his own limitations, he couldn't help but feel insulted. Not to mention angry that someone like that thinking he knew everything about Seraphina. Before he could voice his displeasure, John spoke first. "For one, she's probably got better standards than a prick." he said, slipping his hands into his pockets while leveling a mild glare at Arlo, who seemed surprised by his words. "And probably better than your standards."

"I see..." Arlo frowned. "So you were the one who changed Seraphina. Am I correct?"

"And if I am?"

"From what I heard, you were Quirkless... Yet here you are."

"And just what are you implying?" John asked with narrowed eyes.

"I'm just stating a fact. I previously heard you lacked a Quirk. Yet here you are in the Hero Course."

Arlo's smile shifted somewhat before he narrowed his eyes. "I'm rather curious. Were you purposely hiding your ability? Or, perhaps..."

"Arlo." Seraphina cut in, eyes sharp. From the way she stood, it looked as if she was about to strike at a moment's notice. "Knock it off."

"Alright, alright." He raised his hands in resignation. "I was merely curious. No need to bite my head off."

He then walked past the group. As he walked past John, the two locked eyes, yellow gold meeting cold blue for a mere moment before a smile touched his features, making John narrow his eyes before they broke eye contact and Arlo's back faced the group, soon vanishing down the street.

"Che! Fucking prick!" Katsuki broke the silence.

"Couldn't agree more." Seraphina huffed. "There's a reason why I call him Asslo."

* * *

Episode 5: END

 _NEXT TIME!_

 _Seraphina: You free this weekend?_

 _Izuku: S-shouldn't we stop her from doing something bad?!_

 _Tenya: Using a Quirk in the middle of Public?! How irresponsible!_

 _John: We're being followed._

 _Izuku: Eh?!_

 _Seraphina: Talk about tiresome..._

Episode 6: A Free Day! Mall Problems!

 _Izuku & Tenya: Go beyond your limits! __**PLUS ULTRA! ! !**_


End file.
